


Black Flames; Legacy of Academia

by TwoCrows



Series: After the Storm [9]
Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V, Yu-Gi-Oh! GX
Genre: Alienation, Arc-V storyline, Conflict of convictions, Duelling, Forced Amnesia, Gen, I’m not very fond of Yugioh-style deaths, Memory Alteration, Parasites, Post-Canon, The Doktor is a very creepy man, Torture, War Trauma, history repeats itself, mild romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-27
Updated: 2021-03-15
Packaged: 2021-03-18 20:41:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 10
Words: 61,076
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29739588
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TwoCrows/pseuds/TwoCrows
Summary: Academia is a place of individual strength. That’s what the Professor has taught them. But ever since he’s disappeared and Tenjouin Asuka has taken his place as head of the school, that truth has started to fade, along with so many other things.Rei doesn’t know if she’s okay with that. But when Academia is shaken by another crisis, it is her chance to remind everyone that this kind of thinking is nothing to be ashamed of. In fact, it is the only way to face this new enemy who seems intent on destroying their school until nothing is left of it. However, when she sets out to engage him, she is forced to realise that her resolve isn’t as firm as she thought.Loosely connected sequel toParasite Crisis.
Relationships: Saotome Rei & Osiris Red Girl, Shiunin Sora & Saotome Rei, Shiunin Sora & Tenjouin Asuka | Alexis Rhodes, Tenjouin Asuka | Alexis Rhodes & Tenjouin Fubuki | Atticus Rhodes, Tenjouin Asuka | Alexis Rhodes/Osiris Red Girl
Series: After the Storm [9]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1243310
Comments: 5
Kudos: 2





	1. Prologue

The first thing I knew was that I was alone. It was dark. It was cold. And I was alone. 

My world stretched one step in diameter and it was limited by rough walls of stone and a heavy steel door. That was all that existed for me. 

I spent the first hour screaming and hammering against the door, but all I got from it were a hoarse throat and sore fists. 

I had no idea why they had put me here or what they wanted to do with me. I was scared. I wanted to go back home. But of course they didn’t let me. 

Eventually someone must’ve shown up because the next time I opened my eyes there was a bowl with food in front of me. It contained just a disgusting, viscous slime, but to someone who hadn’t eaten anything for more than a day it was almost a miracle. I was so busy stuffing myself I didn’t even notice the tiny window that had opened in the door. 

“My, my… You are pretty hungry, boy.” 

I looked up and stared into a pale, smiling face, lit only by the feeble light of the torch-like lamps behind him. Then something clicked and a moment later the door to my little cell opened. 

“Come, boy. You don’t need to be afraid. The two of us are going to have a lot of fun from now on.” 

I sensed there was something wrong with his smile, but I was too confused by the hand he offered me to give it further thought. I got up and took his hand. And that was the moment my torment began. That was the moment I met the Doktor. 


	2. Awakening

Rei took a deep breath before she looked back at the monitor on the wall which counted down the seconds. She examined her Duel Disk and her deck for the one-hundredth time, more to fight down her nervousness than to really check anything. 

This was the first time in two years that she’d enter the underground training facility for the practical exam and the second time in her entire time at Academia. Under the Professor it had been reserved to those students who had been selected to join the front, so she knew how much of an honour it was to be here. Being allowed to take this test meant she was something special, someone worthy of Academia. 

_“You can do it, Rei.”_

She froze and looked around, but none of the other students seemed to have spoken to her. They all were absorbed in their own final preparations. 

What a joke… It was always the unpredictable which was going to happen. That was the cruel nature of a battle, just like Instructor Sanders had taught them. In order to end up victorious one needed to have the strength to handle even the unpredictable. Because only the strongest could survive. The weak would be sorted out. 

“Are you nervous?” 

Startled, she turned to the girl beside her. She was an Osiris Red, just like Rei, albeit a few years older, with shoulder-length purplish hair tied up in two braids. 

“Of course not”, Rei replied coldly. “A warrior doesn’t know nervousness.” 

Pain flashed in the girl’s eyes for a moment. “A warrior”, she muttered sadly. “Maybe you’re right. But are you a warrior?” 

Rei opened her mouth, but then she hesitated. Back then she would’ve answered with a straight yes, but now… now she wasn’t sure anymore. So many things had changed recently. The way people talked. The way people duelled. Nothing was the same anymore. She didn’t know whether she was in favour of all those changes. Sometimes she wasn’t sure whether Academia still was the school she used to know. 

When she didn’t answer, the girl gave her a shy smile. It reminded her of a different smile she had seen a long time ago. The smile of someone who was easy to manipulate, part of her whispered. 

“I am nervous”, the girl muttered. 

Rei blinked in surprise. Why… Why did she reveal such a weakness to an enemy? 

Oh. No, right. They weren’t enemies. They were _teammates_ now, at least for the duration of this exam. 

“I… I am nervous too… a little”, she admitted reluctantly. 

The girl’s surprised expression softened after a moment and a tentative smile grew over her lips. 

“Thank you, for telling me”, she said quietly. “I… I was afraid I’m the only one who feels like that.” 

Rei lowered her gaze. It was… unfamiliar to talk about her weaknesses so frankly to someone. She wasn’t sure if she liked this feeling. 

“I think… everyone here feels nervous to some degree.” She turned her head, meeting the girl’s look. “It’s only natural, isn’t it?” 

“Yes. You’re right.” Suddenly she offered Rei her hand. “I’m Hitomi.” 

“R-Rei”, she stuttered and took it. 

Hitomi smiled. “Glad to meet you, Rei.” 

After a moment a smile grew over Rei’s face as well. 

_“Listen up, students”_ , an unfamiliar voice blurted out of the loudspeakers. It sounded surprisingly young, as if the speaker was just a student as well. It was easily conceivable, considering how short Academia was in terms of personnel. 

_“Umm… as you all know, this practical examination is about to begin. Now allow me to explain the rules. You have been divided into five teams. Any team member who loses a duel is out. The team with the most remaining active members in the end wins. Time limit is until midnight. Good luck to all of you.”_

Rei took a deep breath as the countdown reached five seconds. Beside her she could feel Hitomi tense up. The other members of her team, another Osiris Red, three Ra Yellows and two Obelisk Blues, gathered around them as well. It was a pretty odd mixture, but as far as Rei had heard, the other teams were built up like that too. Anyway, now it was too late to change anything about it. She’d have to put up with what she had. 

The countdown switched from one to zero and the wall in front of them faded away, giving view to a narrow steel bridge which led to a circular arena in the centre of a huge underground cavity. 

It was a sight which made Rei shiver. She had hoped she’d never have to see this place again. 

  


* * *

  


“Pretty nice address, _Mr Shiunin_.” 

“Hey, hey”, he replied, flipping his lollipop from one side of his mouth to the other. “You know very well I’m not a teacher, Asuka. And unlike you I’m not going to become one.” 

“What a pity”, Asuka sighed as she stepped next to him and leaned against the railing. “I’m sure you’d make for a great teacher.” 

Sora gave out a short laugh. “Yes, of course. And which class is going to respect a fourteen-year-old as their teacher?” 

Asuka tilted her head. “And what about Yuzu? You taught her how to Fusion Summon and she was older than you.” 

Sora took the lollipop out of his mouth and gazed down at it. Right, he had accepted Yuzu’s request to become her mentor. Although he had no idea what had compelled him to do so back then. Not only had he given out the secrets of his dimension, the secrets of Academia, but he had also delayed the completion of his mission. 

“That was… something different. I’m not the kind of guy who likes to stand in front of a class and explain how to do stuff. That’s your job.” He plopped the lolli back into his mouth and sighed as he took in the familiar sweetness. “This is more my cup of tea”, he said and nodded towards the holographic jungle below them. 

Asuka laughed warmly. “Yes. I guess you’re right.” 

Sora sighed and gazed down at the shapes in the distance. He knew he was going to see more on the monitors inside the control room, but somehow he felt like watching something on a monitor and tracing it with his own two eyes were completely different things. 

Apparently four of the teams had entered the jungle already. Only one still remained outside. He wondered if they were just discussing their plan or if they intended to stay at the fringe of the giant arena. Whatever it was, he wasn’t going to stop them. After all, it was their decision what kind of strategy they deemed right. 

He pressed a key on his Duel Disk and the five bridges which connected the plateau with the outer facility retracted. 

“So it has begun.” 

“Yes”, Sora agreed. “But say, why did you come here in the first place? You entrusted me with the supervision, didn’t you? Could it be you don’t trust my abilities?” 

“No”, she replied. “I have complete faith in you, Sora.” 

“I see. Then it must be because of your girlfriend.” 

“Err… what?!” Asuka gasped and started back from the railing. “N-No! She isn’t my…” 

Sora laughed. It really was rare to see Asuka this flustered about something. “She’s in Team B if I remember correctly. If you want, then I could tell you how she’s doing.” 

Asuka ducked her head. “Umm… I’d be glad if you could do that.” 

“Sure. Consider it a favour between friends. Of course, I can’t help her if she’s in trouble.” 

“Of course”, Asuka agreed. “I’d be disappointed of you if you did that.” She drew in a breath, straightened up and turned towards the door leading back inside – or rather _outside_ of the huge cavity which the Professor had discovered and turned into the training facility it was today. “Well then, I’m expecting your report, Sora.” 

“Just go already”, he said with a smirk and turned his attention back at the jungle. He just hoped this experiment was going to be a success. 

  


* * *

  


Once again Rei was painfully reminded how realistic this field felt. The diffuse light that shimmered through the foliage above, the loud screams of birds in the air, the rough sensation of the bark beneath her fingers when she rested her hand against a tree… all of that made it hard to believe this jungle was made of nothing but Solid Vision. When a green shimmering snake raised its head right in front of her, she even backed away. Even though she knew it wouldn’t hurt her, her instincts said something different. 

She took a deep breath and tried to release some of her tension. Being careful was nothing bad. Soldiers who grew reckless died very quickly. But… those who allowed their fear to paralyse them died even quicker. 

Suddenly a hand touched her shoulder and she whipped around to Hitomi who jerked away as well. 

“Oh! I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you.” 

After a second Rei shook her head. “It’s okay. Just warn me next time.” 

“I’ll try”, the girl said and began to smile the same timid, a little naïve smile Rei had seen on her face before. 

“Hey, you two!” one of the Ra Yellow students shouted from a rock he had climbed. “Come over here! We want to discuss our strategy!” 

Then he turned around and hopped down on the other side. 

“He’s right”, Rei muttered. “Let’s go.” 

Hitomi nodded and followed her. 

  


* * *

  


“Okay, then now that we’re complete, let me inform you of the plan.” 

The boy looked around him. He was two or three years older than Rei and towered over her by two heads. Oh, and on top of that he was an idiot. 

“The Osiris Reds are going to be our scouts. You’ll search the jungle for our opponents. As soon as you find one, you convey their position to everyone else. Then the assault squad made up of the Ra Yellows is going to attack them and wipe them out. We, the Obelisk Blues are going to stay behind to coordinate everything and as a last resort in case the enemy will be too strong for the assault squad to handle. Any questions?” 

Rei’s arm shot into the air before he even had finished speaking. “Are you saying that you don’t even want us to engage the enemy?” 

The boy’s lips curved into a faint smirk. “Of course not. Our enemies will be Ra Yellows and Obelisk Blues. With your pathetic skills you would be wiped out in no time.” 

At once Rei felt as though the blood in her veins had turned into blazing magma. “What was that?” she growled, her voice crackling with ire. “Duel me and I’ll show you who of us is going to be wiped out!” 

The boy merely gave her a bored glance. “A duel against an Osiris Red? I’m sorry, but I don’t have any time to waste with little kids.” 

Rei gritted her teeth, but before she had the chance to throw an insult at him, one of the Ra Yellows raised his hand. 

“I have another question. Why is it you who stay behind to coordinate everything? Wouldn’t we have a better chance if you were in the assault squad?” 

The boy turned his head. “Oh, that’s simple. A leader needs to stay behind and observe the situation so they can give the necessary commands.” 

Rei gasped and she could see disbelief in the eyes of the others as well. 

“Who… Who made you the leader?” the third Osiris Red, a boy two years older than Rei asked. 

“Huh? That’s natural of course. The most skilled person in a team is the leader. Emma and I”, he glanced at the girl beside him, “are Obelisk Blues, the highest rank of all of us, thus we are the obvious pick.” 

“But that’s not a reason to-”

“Better watch your tone”, the Obelisk boy said, suddenly in a much more sinister voice. “The other teams have Obelisk Blue students as well. How are you going to deal with them if we don’t help you?” 

The Osiris boy gulped and cast down his eyes. 

Satisfied, the Obelisk students grinned. “That’s the attitude. Just move around like we tell you to. You’ll see, we’re going to wipe out the other teams in no time.” 

Rei took a deep breath. She had tried to keep down her anger, but when she met the boy’s arrogant, condescending gaze, she simply couldn’t hold back anymore. 

“You shitty bastard! How dare you look down on us?!” She leapt forward and would’ve slammed her fist into his face if Hitomi and one of the Ra Yellow boys hadn’t grabbed her and hauled her back. 

“Let go! Let go of me! I’m going to teach that guy a lesson!” 

“Hey, please calm down, Rei. This won’t get you anywhere.” 

“Shut up! I want to beat the crap out of those guys who think they can act up as-”

She was cut short when the Obelisk girl stepped in front of her and thrust her fist into Rei’s gut. 

She stared at the girl for a long moment before the sensation of pain reached her brain and she convulsed with a choked cough. 

“That’s a nice temper you have there”, the girl muttered with a mocking grin. “But if you keep raving this much, you’ll never become a good soldier.” Without giving Rei another glance, she turned around. “Take care of her. I think we should have a few minutes before the first other team gets into our vicinity.” 

One after another the other students turned away, the Ra Yellows and the Osiris Red boy to scan their surroundings, the Obelisk assholes to do whatever self-indulgent crap they wanted to do. Only Hitomi stayed with her. 

“Why did you stop me?” Rei asked as soon as she was able to. 

The girl’s eyes narrowed sadly. “Because we’re a team. We shouldn’t fight each other.” 

“What?” Rei muttered disbelievingly before a heavy cough shook her body again. “Don’t tell me you’re okay with them being the leaders.” 

“No, of course I’m not”, Hitomi replied. “And I don’t think their strategy is very good either. But…” She ducked her head. “…we’re a team. It would be far worse if we fell apart.” 

Hitomi’s voice suddenly sounded as though it was coming from far away and Rei was surprised to see a hint of tears in her eyes. 

What a disgusting sight. A soldier shouldn’t cry. Even if they weren’t supposed to be soldiers or warriors, this was without a doubt a battlefield. They mustn’t cry here. 

“I… I’m sorry”, Hitomi stuttered and turned back to her. “Are you hurt? Do you need me to…” 

Rei shook her head. “I’m fine. I just need a minute.” 

To be honest her gut hurt like hell. That stupid Obelisk. Rei was going to kill her. Maybe not today, but someday she would. When she looked up, she found Hitomi was still leaning over her, a worried expression on her face. 

Crap. She hated to see that look. And why did it have to be here? 

  


* * *

  


Asuka sighed and let her gaze wander outside. The sun was hanging low already. Another hour maybe and it would reach the shimmering line where the red glow of the sky and the glistening white of the sea met. 

Normally she would call it a day and head to her room, but right now she wouldn’t be able to find any sleep. Working herself through the documents that had been piling up on her desk provided for at least a little distraction. 

Still her thoughts seemed to drift away whenever she tried to focus on the paper. They wandered to the examination Sora was conducting in the training facility. It hadn’t been an easy decision to reactivate Instructor Sander’s old realm, the place where he had drilled hundreds of students and slowly turned them into the heartless battle machines Academia was feared for, but there wasn’t any other place on this island where they could conduct such a large-scale examination. 

She hoped everything would go as planned. She hoped her students would be able to fulfil her expectations and prove that they were capable of working together. 

After a while she wasn’t able fight down her curiosity and longer and reached for her Duel Disk. “Sora? How is it?” 

_“Oh, Asuka”_ , Sora’s voice replied from the other end. To her faint amusement it sounded as though her friend was bored stiff. _“Umm… Currently it’s going well. Team A and C have started to engage already. Team E and B are still more or less searching the jungle. And Team D… they haven’t moved very much from their initial position. Looks like they want to wait until someone else comes at them. Not the worst strategy if you ask me.”_

“I see. That’s good to hear. And… what about…?” She stopped, unsure how to put it. 

_“Your girlfriend?”_ Sora asked teasingly. 

For once Asuka was very glad their Duel Disks didn’t have a video function. 

_“Don’t worry. She and the other Osiris Reds of her team are scouting the area. I don’t think they’re going to attack the enemy on their own.”_

“Okay. Thanks for the update. I don’t want to keep you from work any longer.” 

Sora laughed. _“No need to be so formal, Asuka”_ , he said before he terminated the call. 

Asuka let out a sigh of relief and leaned back on her chair. So Hitomi was alright. 

It had been a huge surprise when she had told Asuka she wanted to take part in the exam as well. Like most of the people who had been trapped inside of a card, Hitomi had hardly overcome that experience. Sometimes she still appeared at Asuka’s room in the middle of the night, her eyes full of tears, and collapsed into her arms, heavy sobs racking her trembling body. Asuka hated herself for being unable to do more than hold her at a time like this, stroke over her back and listen to whatever Hitomi was willing to tell about her nightmare. It was never more than a few whispered words. Asuka assumed she didn’t want to burden her with those feelings, with the terror and dread she felt night for night when she was alone in the dark. 

Probably that also was the reason she had wanted to take this exam. 

Yes, that was just like her, trying to show Asuka she was fine on her own. Even if it wasn’t the truth. 

Hitomi… 

Asuka had no idea how long it was going to take until she would be like her old self again. Or if that even was possible. 

Suddenly a ringing noise of her Disk pulled her out of her thoughts. With a groan she straightened up and took the call. 

“Yes?” 

_“Miss Tenjouin?”_

Asuka needed a few seconds to recognise the voice of Misawa Daichi, one of the new honour students who had for some reason volunteered to work up the huge archive the Professor had left behind. As far as she remembered this was the first time he called her at all. 

“What is it, Misawa?” 

_“I think I have found a couple of files you might want to take a look at.”_

She groaned inwardly. Just when she was hardly able to focus on her work. 

“Alright”, she muttered tiredly. “I’m coming.” 

  


* * *

  


_“Scout 3, any opponents on your position?”_ the voice of that fulsome Obelisk girl asked over Rei’s Duel Disk. 

“Hey, don’t label me as a simple number, you arrogant-”

 _“Your report.”_

Rei gritted her teeth. She wished things were like back then when she could move on her own without having to follow orders from pompous Obelisk bitches. 

“No enemies here”, she said into her Duel Disk. 

_“Good. Keep your eyes open. You have to warn us about everyone who tries to approach the assault squad.”_

“Roger”, Rei muttered and hung up. 

She had toyed with the thought of keeping quiet in case another team should show up. She really wished she could see the faces of those stupid bastards, but then again that would also mean their team would come out losing. 

Crap. As much as she hated it, in order to pass this exam she needed to help her team as best as she could. How annoying. Instructor Sanders would’ve never approved of something as foolish as teamwork. The strong didn’t need teams. They didn’t need comrades. The strong needed rivals, people who made them exceed their limits over and over again. That was how Academia had worked in the past. That was how they had become strong enough to invade the other worlds. 

It was true that this was not a glorious thing and Rei didn’t believe it had been right to make this many people suffer. But that wasn’t a reason to simply throw away everything that had made up Academia up to that point. Why couldn’t they continue to seek for individual strength without the aim to hurt people? 

A loud explosion interrupted her thoughts. It came from the place where the assault squad was battling the two duellists they had encountered, an Osiris Red and another Ra Yellow. The sound made her feel somewhat wistful. Damn, she wished she could join them. That was where her place should be, at the front where she could make use of her abilities. But no. Of course she had to stay here and play babysitter for them. 

_“Scout 2 here”_ , she suddenly heard Hitomi’s voice. _“Leader, I’ve spotted three duellists coming our way, one Obelisk Blue and two Osiris Reds. If they maintain their current course, they’re going to reach the assault squad in less than three minutes.”_

 _“Understood. Assault squad, how is the situation over there?”_

 _“Argh. Our opponents are stronger than we expected. We’ll need a few minutes before we can finish up here.”_

 _“I see. In that case Emma and I are going to take care of them. Scout 2, fall back to the large rock to the south. We’ll wait for the enemy there.”_

Rei turned on her heel and leapt into the direction the Obelisk boy had named. “Scout 3 here,” she said not without a hint of discomfort at using that term. “I’m going to join you.” 

_“Negative!”_ the boy barked. _“You Osiris Reds would be nothing like cannon fodder there. We Obelisks are going to handle this. You are going to stay where you are and keep out of the way.”_

Rei gritted her teeth. Keep out of the way, huh? Alright. She was going to keep out of the way. And when they were going to cry for her help, she was going to remind them of this command. 

“Roger”, she confirmed grimly. 

Damn it. What a stupid thing being in a team was. It seemed to be nothing but a buildup of foolishness and incompetence. 

  


* * *

  


For the first time in forever he was met by a sensation. It was so faint he didn’t dare to think of it as more than another hallucination, a trick contrived by his own treacherous mind. However, the sensation didn’t vanish, filled the darkness around him with something other than himself. 

Sound. 

He was hardly able to recall the word, just as he was hardly able to remember the last time he had felt something like that. It had been… long ago. Too long. 

With a groan he levered himself up from the filthy sheet that was left of his cot, swayed for a moment, his legs weak from disuse. Then, after the first few staggering steps, he moved over to the part of the darkness which contained his food. Although there had been a huge stock long ago, there was hardly anything left of it. 

He reached for a bottle of water and opened it, let the cold liquid run down his parched throat, although his fingers let go of the bottle when he was met with a second sensation. It was like… a faint draught, brushing over his skin. 

This… This couldn’t be. This was just another hallucination. And yet, when he turned around, he nearly gasped as he noticed there was something disturbing the otherwise impenetrable darkness. There was… There was a faint shimmer, something he couldn’t blink away. There was light! He was really seeing something! 

Unable to acknowledge this sensation as more than a desperate wish that would disperse as soon as he started believing in it, he staggered forward, towards the light, his hand running along the wall by habit. But… it wasn’t necessary. His eyes which he hadn’t used in forever were able to make out the shape of the corridor. 

The shimmer grew stronger with every step and as he turned around the corner it grew so bright he needed to close his eyes. Still, he didn’t dare to wait, hurried on with closed eyes, half running, half falling forward, his hand leading him down the corridor like it had so many times before. 

Finally he was there. The light was right above him now and it burned through his lids and scorched his eyes though he couldn’t bring himself to care right now. He took a deep breath and a vast world of odours entered his nose. Most prominent was the old, stale stench of the air he had been breathing for so long, barely renewed through the ventilation shafts that led somewhere to the surface, but there was also something new, something wonderful, fresh, unspent. It was a slightly damp smell, of moss and bark, of flowers, sweet, aromatic and unbelievably precious. 

He was so absorbed in this smell that he needed a while to notice his ears hadn’t been deceiving him. There was sound up there, a faint rustling noise of leaves and the cries of birds and other noisy animals. And also, very distant, there was the sound that had woken him, a dull noise, deep, vibrating in his chest. 

He remembered. He remembered where he was. He remembered who he was. He remembered… everything. 

Slowly he opened his eyes and welcomed the light that fell on him from above. A smirk began to grow over his face, resulting in a sharp pain when his dry lips chapped. 

It didn’t matter. He didn’t know what they were planning this time. He didn’t know what all of this was about. But after an aeon of solitude with no company except for the darkness and the illusions his mind created for him, he was finally free. 

Free to step into the world that had been withheld from him. Finally he was able to burn it to ashes. 

  


* * *

  


_“Scout 2 and 3, are there any new enemies?”_ their Great Leader’s voice asked. 

_“Negative”_ , Hitomi replied. 

“Negative”, Rei confirmed coldly. “It doesn’t seem to be a trap.” 

_“Alright. Then we’re going to proceed as planned. Assault squad, move forward.”_

 _“Roger.”_

They had survived the first skirmish without casualties. One of the Ra Yellow boys had been defeated and his Duel Disk had gone into lockdown. Their leader had switched him with Scout 1, the Osiris boy, and they had continued. To Rei’s chagrin the two Obelisks had indeed managed to fend off the enemy duellists long enough until the remaining assault squad had arrived to deal with them, although it would’ve gone much faster if they had simply allowed her to join the fight. 

Damn it. All this waiting, listening to her teammates engaging in duels, made her feel so terribly restless. She even caught herself bouncing on her heels, itching to leap forward and do something as well. But as long as those stupid Obelisks were in charge, that was never going to happen. 

_“Assault squad here. We’re attacking the enemy.”_

A smirk grew over Rei’s lips. They had found another group, four duellists, who seemed to stay at one spot and wait for an enemy to attack them. They didn’t have any reinforcements nearby, but they didn’t look very weak either. Maybe now she would finally get her chance. 

After a minute she heard an explosion and recognised the huge shape of an _Antique Gear Golem_ shimmering through the leaves. It seemed the fighting had begun. The plan provided for the assault squad to slowly retreat and draw the enemy away from their fix position. Then the leaders would join from behind and the enemy would be wiped out in a pincer attack. 

Rei had to admit it wasn’t a bad plan, or at least wouldn’t be if she wasn’t meant to stay a mere observer. 

_“Here Scout 2. It’s working. The enemy is following us into the jungle.”_

 _“Perfect. Then Emma and I are… H-Hey! What the…?! Oh shit!”_

Rei’s body tensed up at the sudden panic in their leader’s voice. “Hey! What’s wrong?” she shouted into her Disk. 

_“An… An ambush”_ , Emma’s voice answered in his stead. _“Jacob and I are under attack. Scout 2 and 3, head back and join us immediately.”_

Rei smirked. So here it was. The oh so perfect pair of leaders was in a pinch and begged for help. She was about to turn around and follow that order just to see their faces after she sprang them out of there, when suddenly she heard Hitomi’s agitated voice. 

_“But what about the plan? The others are duelling right now because they believe we’re going to support them. What about them?”_

Rei froze on the spot. Oh, right. She hadn’t even considered that. But… as things were right now they wouldn’t be able to escape on their own. That meant… 

_“The plan has failed. Forget about them. As long as you have us, we still have a chance of winning.”_

Her heart missed a beat. 

“So, you’re telling us to simply let them down?” she asked stunned. 

_“Scout 3, follow your commands”_ , the leader’s voice barked. _“We can only save one group right now. Emma and I are Obelisk Blues. We’re more valuable than those Ra Yellows and Osiris Reds.”_

Rei’s fingers curled into a fist, her nails digging so hard into her skin that she wouldn’t have been surprised to feel blood. 

“We are Osiris Reds too”, she muttered. “You haven’t taken us serious from the beginning. And now you want us to help you? Don’t fuck with me!” 

Something weird mingled into the swirl of feelings that was raging inside of her, something other than plain disgust. 

A derelict skyscraper… glass scrunching beneath her boots… a staircase… a yellow coat… and then… falling… No!! Not again!! Not again!! 

_“Scout 2 here. I’m going to join you.”_

“What?!” she gasped, holding her aching chest. “Hitomi! You want to help them?!” 

She could almost hear the girl’s smile before she answered. _“I’m sorry, Rei. But it is as I said. We need to work together as a team.”_

Rei dropped her hand and slumped back against the fluted bark of the tree she was sitting in. “No”, she whispered. 

Hitomi… Was… Was she stupid? If she valued teamwork that much, then why did she try to save those who had discarded their team at the first sign of trouble? 

Stupid. Stupid. Stupid Stupid Stupid! Damn it! Why were all of them so damn _stupid_?! 

Rei had been right. She hadn’t needed a team from the start. She was much stronger alone. 

And yet, victory was decided by the number of undefeated team members. Right now there were two groups with three members each. Which one was she supposed to help? 

Suddenly there was a strong tremor and then a scream from her Duel Disk. 

_“Oh no! Taishi!”_

Taishi. If she remembered correctly, that was the name of one of the Ra Yellow boys. So if one of them had been defeated… 

Angrily Rei gritted her teeth and turned into the direction where their leaders were supposed to be. That was the most reasonable decision, she told herself. Suddenly her chest tightened painfully and her foot slipped on the branch she had intended to land on. With a yelp she fell and, after an infinitely long moment landed on top of a low scrub. 

_“It may be reasonable. But is it really what you want?”_

“Oh, shut up!” she hissed, pushed herself back to her feet and started to run, pushing through the thicket which blocked her way, her back throbbing hardly from the impact. 

She was Rei. She was strong on her own. She didn’t need help from someone else. She didn’t need anyone! 

Finally she broke free of the scrubs and reached a small clearing. To her shock it was the clearing where their leaders were fighting. Jacob was cowering on the ground already and Emma was also just one step away from defeat. Two of their opponents were left, a Ra Yellow girl and an Obelisk Blue boy. And… 

“ _Antique Gear Knight_ , attack her directly!” 

The humanoid machine straightened up and with grating cogwheels it raised its lance before leaping forward. Rei’s eyes grew wide as she realised it wasn’t Emma it was attacking. 

With a scream Hitomi fell backwards as her Life Points dropped to zero. Then, very slowly, she raised her head and stared at the opponent across her. Her face was a mask of sheer dread and hopelessness. Rei couldn’t help but stare at her as well, unable to take her eyes off that shaking, broken face. 

“Now what do we have there? An Osiris Red? Come on, surely you want to join your comrades, don’t you?” 

Rei turned to the Obelisk Blue who was considering her with a mocking grin. Suddenly she felt as though an icy veil had been placed around her feelings. They were still there, deep within her, but at the same time a strange, absolute calmness had seized her mind and her thoughts seemed to be clearer than they had ever been before. 

“No”, she said and stepped forward, activating her Duel Disk. “I don’t have any comrades. My name is Saotome Rei and I am alone.” 

She cast a glance at Emma who was looking back in uneasy surprise and then at Hitomi who was sitting on the ground, blankly staring forward. Probably she wouldn’t be of any use for the rest of the exam. 

“Those surely are big words for a little girl like you”, the Obelisk said. “But you alone can’t win this fight.” 

“Wrong”, Rei said and drew five cards from her deck. 

_“Intrusion Penalty”_ , a mechanical voice said and her Duel Disk emitted a low electric charge which made the hairs on her arm stand up. 

“The team with the most remaining members is going to be the winner in the end”, she explained. “So that means even if I am the last member of my team, we will win, because I am going to wipe out all other teams on my own.” 

The Obelisk burst into laughter, at least until he met the grave expression on Rei’s face. “Hey, hey, you aren’t serious about that, are you?” 

“I am always serious”, she replied and picked a card from her hand. “I activate the Spell Card _Antique Gear Double Imitate_. This lets me Special Summon two _Antique Gear_ monsters from either player’s graveyard with their effects negated. I Special Summon _Antique Gear Hound Dog_ from Emma’s graveyard and _Antique Gear Gadget_ from yours.” 

The two machine-type monsters appeared in front of her, both in the same rusty colour which made them look like they had been used a few centuries longer than it was good for them. ( _Antique Gear Hound Dog_ : ATK 1000; _Antique Gear Gadget_ : ATK 500) 

It didn’t matter. They were going to disappear anyway. 

“I tribute _Hound Dog_ and _Gadget_ in order to Tribute Summon _Antique Gear Reactor Dragon_.” 

The two machines vanished and in their stead a portal opened from which a large dragon rose into the air, giving out a deafening, mechanical cry. (ATK: 3000) 

“Since an _Antique Gear_ monster has been tributed for its summon, you cannot activate any monster, spell or trap effects in response to its attack. Also, since a _Gadget_ monster has been tributed, it may attack twice this turn.” 

Rei raised her arm and pointed at the boy’s monster. “ _Antique Gear Reactor Dragon_. Attack his _Antique Gear Knight_.” 

Her dragon opened its mouth and a blazing glow began to build up between its jaws. She noticed Emma was still cowering in front of her, too shocked to move. 

Rei didn’t care. It was her fault if she was unable to keep out of the way. No. If Rei was honest, she felt good at the thought of repaying her for the punch in the gut from earlier. 

“Furthermore I activate the Quick-Play Spell _Limiter Removal_ which doubles the ATK of all machine-type monsters I control for the cost of destroying them at the end of this turn.” 

Suddenly the cogwheels inside of her _Reactor Dragon_ began to move at an incredible speed as its ATK increased to 6000. The glow in its mouth reached a blinding intensity and then it was fired at the boy who stared at Rei’s dragon, fear and disbelief written in his eyes. However, the attack dispersed before it could hit him. 

While both he and Rei stared in surprise and tried to figure out what had happened, the holograms of their monsters suddenly began to flicker and disappeared in a shower of sparks. 

Rei glanced down at her Duel Disk. 

DUEL HAS BEEN TERMINATED, was written on the screen. One moment later the loudspeakers all over the dome came to life. 

_“To all the students on the jungle field”_ , the young voice of the new instructor said in a seemingly laid-back, but nevertheless menacing tone. _“There’s a question I’d like to ask all of you. What the hell do you think you’re doing down there?”_

Angrily Rei bit the bottom of her lip and ducked her head. Once again she had screwed up. 

  


* * *

  


“No, this… Impossible…” 

“I know it sounds hard to believe, but all of those students have been put into the care of the Doktor.” 

Misawa’s gaze turned sad as he gazed at the big stack of files on his desk. “The entries in the student index, the directory of inhabitants and all other records have been erased. These files are all that’s left of them. Don’t know what they did with them, but… it can’t be anything good.” Depressed, he shook his head. “Who knows if these really are all?” 

“Yeah”, Asuka muttered, although she had barely been listening. Once again her belief that she knew all of the Professor’s dark secrets had been shattered and she was faced with another trial that had the potential to crush everything she had tried to build up since she had taken over the position as the head of Academia. The stories of dozens of students who seemed to have vanished without a trace were spread out in front of her, written in the same formal, a little excited tone she had had to read more often than she would’ve liked to. She wondered if she was ever going to reach the point when she could forget clearing up the crimes of the former Academia staff and finally start dealing with the future. 

It looked like today wasn’t the day that would happen. 

“Alright”, she said to Misawa. “Please bring these files to my office. I’m going to read them in the next few days.” 

“Yes, Miss Tenjouin”, the boy replied a little too quickly. She wished the others would stop talking to her like a military commander. Academia was no longer a military institution. And as long as she was here it would never become one again. 

“Oh, umm… Miss Tenjouin, there’s another reason I asked you to come.” 

Asuka gave him an inquiring glance and he handed her a file which had lain next to the others. When her eyes flicked to the name on it, a sudden flash of pain racked her head. Just what…? No, this… this wasn’t… What did that mean? 

Suddenly her Duel Disk began to ring and after a moment she managed to pull herself together enough to take the call. 

“Hey, Asuka, umm… I’m afraid I have some bad news. I guess you better come down here.” 

Asuka needed a few seconds to bring the words into a context she could make any sense out of. “Y-Yes, Sora. I’ll be there in a few minutes.” 

She glanced down at the file in her hand and attempted to put it back on the pile before she reconsidered. 

“I’ll take this one with me”, she said to Misawa. “Bring the rest to my office.” 

Without another word she turned around and left the archive, her fingers clasped tightly around the file. 

“No way”, she whispered. “No way…” 


	3. Flames

Tiredly Sora gazed at the monitors in front of him as he watched the records of the cameras which had been installed in the training field. He saw the four Obelisk Blue students of Team C who charged off, confident they could overwhelm the other teams with sheer strength, completely neglecting their comrades who fell prey to a sneak attack from Team E. He saw Team A which split up due to internal differences and was slowly wiped out by stronger groups. He saw the members of Team D who after an awfully long decision started to fight each other for the position of the team leader. And then of course there was Team B. 

Sora had never thought of himself as an optimist. He had been prepared for a failure. This however was a complete disaster. He had no idea how he was supposed to explain this to Asuka. 

The door behind him opened and seven glum-looking students entered. 

“And?” he asked wanly, skipping the telling-off he was probably supposed to give them. “Do you have any idea why I aborted the test?” 

The students ducked their heads, ashamed and frustrated, but none of them was brave enough to put their thoughts into words. Actually that was one of the reasons why their cooperation had failed so terribly. 

“Emma. Jacob”, he addressed the two Obelisk Blues at the end of the row. “What do you think was the reason for your team’s failure?” 

The girl’s eyes flicked to him for a moment, but she quickly averted her gaze again. 

“We… We got reckless”, the boy muttered shamefaced. “We didn’t pay enough attention to our opponent’s moves. And our formation wasn’t flexible enough to adjust to unexpected circum-”

“Completely wrong”, Sora interrupted him, pointing his lollipop at them. “You’re not lacking tactical skills. Your problem is that your teamwork was rock bottom.” 

The two students stared at him, probably puzzled by his choice of words. 

“Here is what the two of you did wrong. First: You declared yourselves the leaders without considering the opinions of your teammates.” 

“But we’re Obelisk Blues”, the boy began. “Who else-” 

“Second”, Sora continued, ignoring his protest. “You regarded the Osiris Red students as useless before you even knew what they were capable of. Third: When you were in a pinch, you put your own survival above the survival of your team. I could understand if you did this in a real combat situation, but in this exam your life wasn’t in danger.” He lowered his voice. “Remember: No one follows a leader who will let their team down when it gets too dangerous.” 

Emma and Jacob ducked their heads, patiently listening to his admonition. 

Damn it, this felt so weird. Lecturing others about their mistakes shouldn’t be the job of a fourteen-year-old. If he had known he would have to do this, he would’ve refused Asuka’s request. 

“What about you?” he asked towards the others, plopping his lollipop back into his mouth. “What do you think you could’ve done better?” 

Again none of them dared to speak up. 

Sora sighed. “You know, forming a team means more than having a leader who gives out orders and executional organs which carry them out. In order to be successful you need to discuss your ideas and search for the best course of action together. But in order to do that you need to talk to each other and have the courage to oppose an idea when you think there’s something wrong about it. All of you have been having doubts about your leaders’ course of action, haven’t you?” 

None of them answered, although he was well able to read shamefacedness and guilt on their faces. Resignedly he raised a hand to his forehead. “I’ll ask Asuka to set up a second date to repeat the test next week. Until then… umm… reflect about your mistakes and learn to overcome them.” He gave them a last, tired glance. “That’s everything. You may go now.” 

Tentatively the students turned and moved towards the door. All except for one. 

“You’re kidding us, aren’t you?” 

The girl’s voice had been low and although it sounded calm and devoid of anger, it also contained a touch of bitterness Sora had rarely heard before. 

“Your name was Rei, right?” he asked her. While he had spoken, she had been staring at the ground in front of her. Her face had remained so unmoved he wondered whether she had even listened. Now however she raised her head and met his gaze firmly. 

“You are saying you want us to fight together as a team once more?” 

Sora allowed himself a faint smile. “Yes. That’s pretty much what I’ve said.” 

“Don’t give me that!” she said with sudden vehemence which nearly caused him to drop his lollipop. “I’m not going to form a team with those incompetent idiots over there! They’re the reason our team failed. 

He narrowed his eyes. “Are you so sure about that?” he asked with a not very mirthful grin and pressed a key on his console. A moment later an image appeared on the monitor behind him, showing Rei and her monster right before it attacked. 

“I hadn’t intended to bring this up”, he continued and glanced at the other students who stared at the screen in surprise, “but they are not the only ones who are lacking teamwork. You attacked the enemy fully aware you were going to hit your comrades as well. If you place so little value on their lives, then…” 

“Then what?” the girl asked defiantly. “Are you going to suspend me from the exam?” She snorted and Sora noticed her eyes now looked as dark and hard as flint, cold and impenetrable. “Well, that’s fine by me. I don’t have a team anyway. And I’m not interested in an exam where I have to hold back for some comrades.” 

She spat out the last word like a sour bonbon that had been hidden in a package of sweet ones. When he didn’t answer immediately, she turned on her heels and marched out of the control room. After a few seconds the others realised he wasn’t angered by her rude behaviour and followed her, though far more timidly. 

Sora gazed after them for a long while. That girl… It was long since he had last seen anyone with that look in their eyes. A look that was sparkling with defiance and barely controlled anger. 

Finally he leaned back on his chair and gave out a sigh. Just when had his job become this exhausting? 

He wished he could go back to the time when he had attended You Show Duel School with Yuya and Yuzu and the other kids. Although it had all been just part of his mission, he still liked that memory. It was the first time he had become friends with someone. They sure had had a lot of fun together. At least much more than he was having right now. 

That girl… Sora wondered if she had any friends. 

The tinny sound of a hand knocking at the door pulled him out of his thoughts. 

“May I come in?” 

“Oh, Asuka. Sure.” 

She gave him a smile, although he noticed it didn’t come onto her lips as easily as it normally did. There was something troubling her, but he knew her too well to bother asking her about it. She was going to talk if she was ready. 

“I’m sorry, Asuka”, he said. “I wish I had better news for you.” 

  


* * *

  


“That damn brat”, Emma muttered as they walked down the dark corridor back to their dorm and curled her hand into a fist. “How dare he blame us for our team’s failure?! If all of them had done their job well, we would’ve won. And besides, why does a mere kid like him act like he could replace Instructor Sanders? I mean, he’s younger than us and…” 

“Shh”, Jacob whispered and wrapped his arms around her. She gave out a short shriek when he lifted her off her feet and swirled her into a side corridor before setting her down and pressing his lips on hers. “Don’t let that kid’s words bother you. You are great, Emma. Next week we’re going to win for sure.” 

She smiled and kissed him back, slowly, to enjoy the sweet taste of his lips. “You’re right. Next week we’ll make sure they won’t disobey us again. Especially not that girl.” 

Her expression darkened as she thought back to the violet glow that had nearly struck her and for a moment her knees turned into jelly. It had been so close Emma thought she had been able to feel the heat of the attack on her skin, though she logically knew that should be impossible. Even Real Solid Vision shouldn’t be able to reproduce such a subtle effect. 

That damn girl… she had really intended to hurt her with that attack. _Her_ , her own leader! That was absolutely unforgivable. 

“Hey, Jacob?” she asked grimly. “Would you do me a favour?” 

“Of course”, he muttered gently, resting his chin on her shoulder. “Anything you want.” 

She smiled. “Then would you help me teach that Osiris girl a lesson?” 

“Ah, the shorty? Yeah, why not? Let’s teach her not to mess with an Obelisk Blue.” 

“Inte… Inte… resting”, a hoarse voice said suddenly and she started in surprise, instinctively backing away from Jacob. Being in a relationship was not as unthinkable as it had been under the Professor, one of the few changes she was actually grateful for, but still she didn’t want all of their classmates to start gossiping about them. 

“Who is there?” she asked loudly, but still her eyes failed to localise the owner of the voice, until she heard a quiet rustle of clothes and noticed a figure had stepped into the middle of the corridor they had come from. He – at least he looked male – was tall and wore a long dark coat. His hair was dark and unbelievably long, reaching down to his waist. For a few seconds she tried to make out his face until she realised that was impossible because it was hidden behind a black mask which omitted only his mouth and chin. 

“Who… Who the hell are you?” Jacob asked next to her, uttering the same question that had flashed through her mind as well. 

Whoever that guy was, his coat didn’t belong to any of the three dorms at Academia. 

“I am… a forgotten one”, he said and his voice sounded as though this was the first time in a long while that he used it. “And you are students of Academia.” Slowly he raised his arm and to Emma’s surprise the glowing blade of a Duel Disk flashed up. 

“Hey, hey, are you really serious about this?” Jacob laughed. “We are both Obelisk Blue students who were trained personally by Instructor Sanders. Are you sure you want to challenge one of us?” 

“Do not be mistaken”, the masked man replied in a grave tone. “This isn’t a challenge. The two of you will suffer complete annihilation here.” 

Emma didn’t know why, but… something in that crackling voice made her feel cold all of a sudden, although the temperature inside the corridor couldn’t have changed. It was almost like what she had felt from that Osiris girl. That guy had a very dangerous aura. 

“Jacob”, she muttered and gave him a quick glance. 

“Yeah”, he replied with a nod and then both of them activated their Duel Disks. 

  


DUEL: JACOB and EMMA vs UNKNOWN

FORMAT: TAG DUEL

  


“You may have the first turn”, the man said quietly. “Enjoy it.” 

Jacob hissed and gritted his teeth. “You know, normally I don’t like crushing my opponent with everything I have, but… that condescending attitude of yours is really pissing me off, so I’m going to make an exception for you.” He picked a card from his hand and placed it on the blade of his Duel Disk. “I start by summoning _Antique Gear Hound Dog_. Its effect hits you with 600 points of damage whenever it is Normal Summoned.” 

A portal opened up in front of him and a mechanical canine leapt out of it, giving out a loud bark (ATK: 1000). Then it opened its jaws and extended a barrel, blasting the masked man with a small burst of fire (Unknown: 4000 – 3400 LP). 

Jacob allowed himself a smirk. “Next I activate _Hound Dog’s_ other effect, allowing me to Fusion Summon an _Antique Gear_ monster using monsters from my field or hand. I fuse the _Hound Dog_ on my field with another one in my hand. Mechanical hounds who carry on the ancient spirits, flock together and become one with new power! Fusion Summon! Appear now, level 5! _Antique Gear Double Bite Hound Dog_!” 

Jacob’s two hounds merged together in a swirl of light and turned into a hound with two heads (ATK: 1400). 

“Alright. I set one card face down and pass over to you, Emma.” 

“Thanks, Jacob”, she said and drew a card from her deck. 

_Fusion_. Not bad. 

“I Normal Summon _Antique Gear Hound Dog_ ”, she declared and another one of the armoured dogs appeared on the field (ATK: 1000). “And just like before its effect deals you 600 points of damage.” 

The masked man was once again enveloped by flames and yet he didn’t even flinch (Unknown: 3400 – 2800 LP). Emma couldn’t help but feel respect for that. This guy seemed to be tough. Maybe he was even as good as an Obelisk Blue. Still, she thought with a smirk, no matter how good he was, he didn’t stand a chance against both her and Jacob at the same time. 

“I activate _Hound Dog’s_ effect in order to fuse it with the _Double Bite Hound Dog_ on our field. Mechanical Hounds inheriting ancient souls, flock together and rise as a new power! Fusion Summon! Appear now, level 7! _Antique Gear Triple Bite Hound Dog_!” 

The three-headed canine landed in front of her and its metallic feet clacked on the floor as it took position between her and her opponent (ATK: 1800). 

“I’m not done yet”, she said, picked another card from her hand and inserted it into her Duel Disk. “I activate _Antique Gear Workshop_ in order to add the _Hound Dog_ from my graveyard back to my hand.” She sent a quick glance to Jacob who gave her a confident smile. “And lastly I activate the Spell Card _Fusion_ to fuse the _Hound Dog_ in my hand with the _Antique Gear Triple Bite Hound Dog_ on our field.” 

She raised her hands into the air and entwined them, mirroring the two monsters which leapt into the air and disappeared into a whirl of colours. 

“Savage Cerberus of the ancients, mechanical hound who barks in the darkness, join together and form an inexorable new power! Come forth! Level 9! _Antique Gear Ultimate Hound Dog_!” 

A loud howl escaped the mechanical throat of the great canine which trod in front of her, its three almost a little too tiny heads completely overshadowed by the large mouth in its chest (ATK: 2800). 

“And when it is Fusion Summoned, _Ultimate Hound Dog_ blows away half of your Life Points.” 

The monster opened its jaws and fired a whole barrage at the man (Unknown: 2800 – 1400 LP). After a second Emma noticed he hadn’t moved at all since they began. This was more than just toughness. He had a completely different air than all the other students she had fought before, an unsettling kind of composure. Suddenly she felt the strong wish to end this duel as quickly as possible. With _Antique Gear Bomb_ she could destroy her _Ultimate Hound Dog_ and inflict half of its ATK as damage to the opponent, wiping out his remaining Life Points. Unfortunately she didn’t have that card right now. 

“I end my turn”, she said and lowered her hand. 

Come on, she thought. Now is your chance to show us what you’ve got. 

“Then it is my turn now”, the man began slowly, as if he had to search his memory for the right words. “I draw.” 

He looked at the cards in his hand for a few seconds, raising his hand to pick one of them before he seemed to reconsider. 

“Hey, what’s that?” Jacob asked with a slightly mocking voice. “Do you want me to come over and help you pick a card? Don’t tell me you’re a beginner.” 

The man remained quiet for another moment, considering his cards pensively. “Not exactly”, he began. “But it’s been a while since my last duel.” 

Finally his fingers touched a card and then something changed about him. He straightened up and took a deep breath. Then he nodded. 

“Yes. This is the right one. I activate the Spell Card _Fusion_. From my hand I fuse _Red-Eyes Doomstar Dragon – Meteor Dragon_ and _Red-Eyes Black Flare Dragon_. Unstoppable dragon which falls from the sky, proud dragon of dark fire, become one of body and spirit and bring forth an earth-smashing calamity! Fusion Summon! Bathe the lands in the glow of doom! _Comet Dragon - Meteor Black Dragon_!” 

Emma gasped involuntarily as bright fire blazed up under the ceiling, bathing the entire corridor in a deep red glow. In the centre of the flames a huge purplish dragon unfolded its wings. Small cracks of liquid fire seemed to run through its entire body and its eyes burned like two pieces of ember (ATK: 3500). 

“When _Meteor Black Dragon_ is Fusion Summoned, I can send a _Red-Eyes_ monster from my deck to the graveyard to inflict damage equal to half its ATK.” 

The man searched through his deck until he had found the card he had been looking for. “The card I send to the grave is _Red-Eyes Black Dragon_. 2400 ATK.” 

The blurry shape of another dragon appeared in front of _Meteor Black Dragon_ and a second later it faded into the larger dragon, emitting a powerful wave of flames which rushed through the corridor so quickly Emma had barely time to raise her hand before it hit her (Emma: 4000 – 2800 LP). 

It… It was amazing and terrifying at the same time. She was able to feel the heat on her skin, not strong enough to seriously burn her, but it was enough to send actual pain through her arms. Damn it. This shouldn’t be possible. The damage settings of all Duel Disks had been reconfigured to make it impossible to hurt someone with them. So what was this? Had that guy managed to save his Duel Disk from inspection? 

“Who are you?” she asked through clenched teeth. 

The man turned to her and even beneath his mask she could feel the cold glare of his eyes. 

“I am the forgotten one”, he said and raised his arm. “And I am here to take vengeance.” 

The huge dragon above him gave out a roar and before she was able to react its body went up in flames and it dove at her _Ultimate Hound Dog_ , crushing it almost casually while at the same time smashing a large hole into the stone floor (Emma: 2800 – 2100 LP). 

The mere impact nearly knocked her off her feet and she stared at the web of cracks which ran through the floor, the walls and even up to the ceiling. What unbelievable power. Apart from the _Chaos Giants_ which had been used by the old Obelisk Force and the huge dragon which had nearly destroyed Academia, she hadn’t heard of a monster that could cause this much destruction. 

“I am not done yet”, the man muttered and activated another card. “With _De-Fusion_ I return _Meteor Black Dragon_ to my Extra Deck and summon its Material Monsters from my graveyard. Blaze once again, _Red-Eyes Doomstar Dragon – Meteor Dragon_ and _Red-Eyes Black Flare Dragon_!” 

The huge shape of the dragon disappeared and then the flames surrounding it moulded into two smaller shapes, one bulky, arrow-shaped with hardly distinguishable features, the other one black with a sharp, almost beak-like jaw ( _Red-Eyes Doomstar Dragon – Meteor Dragon_ : ATK 1800; _Red-Eyes Black Flare Dragon_ : ATK 2400). 

Dread seized Emma’s heart as she stared at the two dragons. Their jaws opened menacingly and dark smoke escaped their nostrils. Oh crap! 

“ _Red-Eyes Black Flare Dragon_ , attack her directly!” 

The dragon spread its jet-black wings and raised its head, a red-blazing orb of fire forming in its mouth. Then, in a terribly fluent motion, it turned towards her and fired the scarlet orb at her. 

Emma had thought what she had felt before had been pain, but it was nothing compared to the sensation she felt now. Her entire body felt ablaze. A thousand needles of white-hot scorching pain pierced every square inch of her skin. She screamed and fell backwards, tried to escape the pain somehow, but even after they dispersed, she could still feel the flames licking over her body, trying to consume her whole (Emma: 2100 – 0 LP)

“Emma!” she heard Jacob’s angry voice through the crackling roar in her ears. “Fuck! Hang on, Emma! I’m going to call Mrs Ayukawa. You’ll be alright.” 

“You will do nothing like that”, the masked man said. His voice was still hoarse from disuse and yet horrible relentlessness was ringing in it. “Instead you are going to suffer the same fate.” 

Anger flashed over Jacob’s features as he turned around to the man. “Bastard! I’ll kill you for that!” 

“An empty threat. _Meteor Dragon_ , attack him directly.” 

“Tsk. You fool. I activate my Trap Card: _Magic Cylinder_. This card negates your attack and inflicts damage to you equal to the attacking monster’s ATK.” 

Emma raised her head and squinted at the man. Despite the pain a weak smile grew over her face. Their opponent had only 1400 Life Points left, so this attack was going to wipe him out entirely. They had won. 

“Are you happy now? That’s not even a nice try”, the masked man said. “From my hand I activate the Quick-Play Spell _Instantaneous Fusion_ to fuse the two dragons on my field.” 

Emma gasped as the two dragons on his field merged once again. 

“Unstoppable dragon which falls from the sky, proud dragon of dark fire, become one of body and spirit and bring forth an earth-shaking calamity! Fusion Summon! Bathe the lands in the glow of doom! _Comet Dragon – Meteor Black Dragon_!” 

She couldn’t believe her eyes. The huge dragon was back, looming over them like a barely concealed promise of certain doom (ATK: 3500). 

“Since _Meteor Dragon_ has left the field, your Trap Card has lost its target”, the man said calmly. “And _Meteor Black Dragon’s_ effect allows me to once again send a _Red-Eyes_ monster from my deck to the graveyard and inflict damage equal to half its ATK. Once again I send _Red-Eyes Black Dragon_ to the grave.” 

Emma ducked her head as once again a wave of flames rolled over her (Jacob: 4000 – 2800 LP). 

“And now…” The man narrowed his voice and for once there was no sign of hoarseness in it. Although he wasn’t much taller than Jacob, the way he stood across them, his dark coat flapping lightly in the wind caused by the wingbeat of his dragon, he looked truly terrifying. Even if he hadn’t just defeated both her and Jacob in just one turn, she would’ve been able to see how much higher he stood above them. 

“As I promised, I will give you a taste of the hell I had to suffer because of you. _Comet Dragon – Meteor Black Dragon_! Attack them directly!” 

The giant dragon flapped its wings and soared higher until it almost touched the ceiling before turning in one elegant movement and coming down at them. Emma had the strange feeling as though time was moving infinitely slow all of the sudden. She saw the flames which began to lick over the monster’s body, leisurely, as though it was the most incidental thing in the world. The way it floated there above them, nearly frozen, it had an unearthly beauty, terrible and yet unfathomably pretty at the same time. 

While she still marvelled at this impressive sight, a sudden thought struck her mind. Yes, there was no doubt about it. This was the end. She cast a glance as Jacob who was still standing next to her. His gaze met hers and for a moment she could read the answer in his eyes. The answer to the question she had never dared to ask. 

Then time remembered the speed it was meant to flow at and the man’s dragon struck them, rearing up the floor, the shockwave of the impact pressing against her like a wall of solid air which knocked the breath out of her lungs. Then a red-glowing wave of flames followed, just as hot as the one from before, setting every fibre of her body on fire. 

Half dazed by pain, she opened her eyes and squinted through the blur that veiled her vision. She could make out the shape of Jacob, not far away from her. Part of his uniform was torn and the half of his face that was turned towards her was covered with blood. She tried to reach out for him, but just the attempt to raise her arm sent a terrible flash of pain through her shoulder and so she lowered it again. A moment later she heard a clacking sound and saw the masked man approaching her slowly. His coat was fluttering with every step and the sound rang unbelievably loud in her ears, mingling with the noise of blood rushing through her veins. 

The way he approached her reminded her of another man, glaring down at her from the shadow between the trees of the jungle. Panic rose up inside her, paralysed her muscles as the memory flooded back into her head. It had all happened so quickly, and yet she recalled every little detail about it. The wild, indomitable look in the Battle Beast’s yellow eyes… the cruel grin on his lips as he raised his hand… the violet flash that followed… 

“Please…” she whispered, her voice shaking with dread. “Please don’t card us. I… I don’t want to…” 

“Card you?” the man asked and leaned down until he was face to face with her. “No. I’m not going to do that.” 

The faint hint of relief that began to bloom inside her was extinguished completely when he raised his hand and took off the black mask. She had been wondering why he wanted to hide his face, but what she saw now was something she hadn’t imagined. Despite the pale, haggard look of his face, he even looked quite handsome and she was sure a few of her classmates would’ve developed a crush on him. At least if it wasn’t for the pair of brown eyes that glared at her, filled with a fire that burned through her resistance like butter. A fire of truly abysmal hatred. 

“I’m not going to card you”, he muttered and brought his face very close to hers. “That would be a far too mild punishment.” 

  


* * *

  


The clacking sound of her footsteps ceased when she stopped in front of a wooden door. Once more she came to notice how quiet it was at night. It was an almost ghastly silence which contained only a faint whisper, the howling of the wind which brushed around the cliffs… the inaudible echoes of nightly conversations, or members of her staff who worked until this time of the night, or of students who talked to each other, about classes or what they had been doing with their friends. It was a silence which spoke of the countless dreams dreamed by the students of Academia. Dreams she wanted to protect. Hopes she wanted to make come true. That was what she had vowed to herself when she had decided to take over Academia. And yet… there was at least one person whose dream she wasn’t able to protect. 

Tentatively she raised her hand and knocked against the wood. She waited for a few seconds, but there was no reply. With a quiet sigh she pushed down the handle and opened the door. 

There was no light inside, apart from the corridor, and Asuka needed a while before she was able to see the figure that was sitting on the bed, her back turned towards her. 

“I don’t remember telling you to come”, a quiet voice said. 

“I’m sorry”, Asuka replied. “Do you want me to go away?” 

Hitomi turned her head just a bit, not enough to look at Asuka, her long braids shifting a little as she thought about her words. 

“No”, she said eventually. “Please stay here.” 

Asuka took a breath and stepped in, closing the door behind her. The curtains in front of the windows were closed and only a feeble streak of starlight fell in through the tiny gap in them, making the contours of Hitomi’s head glow with a faint shimmer. Asuka considered her for a while, the purplish twin braids that fell past her shoulders, the red uniform she was clad in. Now that she thought of it, it was quite weird the two of them had become friends, a top-class Obelisk Blue student and an average Osiris Red girl, but somehow it had simply happened. She still remembered that warm summer afternoon when she had been sitting under a tree in the courtyard and tried to improve her deck. She had started so hardly when Hitomi had suddenly popped up behind the trunk and asked her what she was doing. 

“I’m working on my deck. It doesn’t have the right balance yet.” That’s what she had answered. 

Right… Hitomi had given her such a clueless look Asuka had wondered whether she had even heard of the word ‘balance’. 

“Hmm… I don’t know that much about all this duelling stuff, but… why sit around here all day? The weather is so great! Why don’t you try to have a little fun instead?” 

Yes… The smile Hitomi had given her in that moment was one of the most precious things she remembered. When Asuka looked at her now, at the wearied, taciturn young woman on the bed, she was hardly able to recognise the energetic girl from back then. 

“I’m sorry”, she muttered quietly and walked over to her, tentatively sitting down beside her. “When I heard what happened, I wanted to go to you immediately, but I first had to talk things over with Sora. That took a while.” 

Hitomi didn’t respond. Her eyes were fixed at the floor in front of her, her hands loosely laid on her lap. 

Asuka wished she had any words which could build her up, which were able to allay the pain she was feeling a little, but whenever she tried to think of something to say, her mind felt terribly empty all of a sudden, as though someone had taken all her words away to air them on the balcony. 

“Why?” Hitomi asked, so quietly Asuka was hardly able to understand her. 

“Why? Oh. I needed him to give me a brief report about what happened and-”

The girl shook her head. “No. I mean, why did you want to come to me? There isn’t much you can do, right?” 

Hitomi’s words, so calm and emotionless they had been uttered, felt like daggers in her heart. Of course she was right. There was nothing… nothing she could do for her friend. 

“Even so… do I need a reason to see you?” She looked down at her hands and tears began to form in her eyes. “When a friend is in trouble, is it not natural to go and see them, even if there isn’t a way to help them?” 

Hitomi turned her head and gave her a long glance, but her expression did not change. Her eyes looked dull, lacklustre. Devoid of both happiness and sadness. Asuka wanted them to shine again, sparkle as vibrantly as they had, back then when she had met her. 

Tentatively she reached for her hand, gave it a soft squeeze. Hitomi glanced down at it, but she didn’t pull away. After a while she crooked her fingers and placed them around Asuka’s. Another, long while later she squeezed them back. 

A weak smile grew over Asuka’s lips. It wasn’t much of a progress, but it was progress. 

“I remembered”, Hitomi muttered suddenly. 

Asuka tilted her head and gave her an inquiring glance. “What did you remember?” she asked carefully. 

Hitomi’s eyes narrowed a little and a hint of pain flashed inside them. “I remembered how I felt that day. The day when we ran away together, tried to escape this whole madness.” She closed her eyes and a silent tear escaped the corner of her eyes and drew an arc of sadness across her cheek. “I remembered how it felt to get carded.” 

Asuka gasped and turned towards her friend. “You… You remember that?” 

Hitomi nodded. “When that Obelisk Blue defeated me, it reminded me of what we did in Heartland… of the countless humans we carded, regardless of whether they were duellists or not.” She gulped quietly and ducked her head. “Back then the other students in my unit had the same look on their face, just before they turned another person into a card. It was the same look these officers had when they were about to card me. That’s when I remembered.” 

Asuka cast down her eyes. It would’ve been easier if Hitomi had started to cry. Then she could’ve hugged her and told her not to be afraid. This cold, sober tone made her feel even more helpless than usual. 

She shifted a little closer, until their shoulders touched, and then she placed a hand on Hitomi’s back, stroking her soothingly. “I’m sorry”, she whispered. “If I had known it would make you remember something like that, I wouldn’t have allowed you to take that exam.” 

Hitomi gave out a bitter snort. “And then what? It was my decision, Asuka. I can’t run away forever. Sooner or later I have to learn how to go on.” After a moment she furrowed her brows. “Or… are you saying you’re going to protect me for the rest of my life?” 

Asuka gazed at Hitomi until she turned her head and directly met her eyes. 

“Yes”, she muttered, giving Hitomi’s hand a light squeeze. “I would do that. If you’d let me.” 

Hitomi’s expression changed from surprised to disbelieving and then she gave out a brief laugh. “You are really a hopeless one.” Then she grew serious again. “You’ve never been able to think about yourself first, have you?” 

Asuka cracked a wan smile and lowered her gaze. No. Hitomi was wrong. Back then, she had constantly thought about herself first. And that was the reason Hitomi got… 

Suddenly her Duel Disk rang. The sound felt unbelievably loud in the otherwise completely quiet room, and yet Asuka ignored it. She didn’t care who it was or what issue they wanted to talk about. Right now Hitomi was more important. 

“Go ahead”, Hitomi muttered. 

“Err… what? But…” 

She shook her head. “You’re the head of this school. You can’t just ignore when someone calls you.” 

Asuka considered her for a moment before she pulled back her hand and reached for her Disk instead. “What is it?” 

“Asuka?” the voice of Mrs Ayukawa answered from the other end. “Sorry to wake you, but I have kind of an emergency here. Please come as quickly as you can.” 

“Okay”, she replied with a brief glance at Hitomi. “I’ll be there right away.” Then she hung up. “Sorry”, she said, placing her hand on Hitomi’s once more. 

“Why do you always apologise to me?” the girl asked without meeting her gaze, looking at the closed curtains in front of her instead. “Unlike me you have a future. Don’t neglect your duties for such an unimportant person like me.” 

Something about Hitomi’s voice or the indifferent look in her eyes sent a dull pain through Asuka’s chest. Slowly she got up and walked around the bed, pushing down the handle of the door. It opened and a streak of light fell into the room. She hesitated for a few seconds, not willing to take the next step. 

“You aren’t unimportant, Hitomi”, she muttered. “At least not to me.” 

Then she crossed the threshold and closed the door behind her, allowing darkness to return. For a moment she thought of staying, but then she quickly shook her head and walked away. Hitomi didn’t want her to hear her quiet sobs, the ones she wasn’t able to hold back when she was alone. Asuka just wished there was something she was able to do for her. 

  


* * *

  


“Asuka. There you are.” 

Mrs Ayukawa had put on her worried-but-reserved face, so the situation had to be grave. Of course, Asuka could tell that herself by just looking at the two cots on the other side of the big glass window. 

“Is it about them?” she asked, unable to banish the shaking from her voice completely. 

Mrs Ayukawa nodded. “A few students found them an hour ago after they heard some loud noise in the corridors leading from the classrooms to the Obelisk Blue dorm.” 

The doctor’s lips narrowed to a thin line. “They’re barely alive”, she said and even she wasn’t able to keep her usual professional tone. “To be honest, I haven’t seen anyone in such a critical condition before. Both of them have suffered major burns and multiple bone fractures. Even if they’re going to make it, it’s questionable if they’re going to wake up again.” 

Asuka narrowed her eyes. Horror and sympathy were swirling inside her, but the most prominent feeling was anger. Black, unreasonable, boiling anger. The moment she had laid her eyes on the two students she had realised this hadn’t been an accident. Someone… Someone had done this to them on purpose. 

“Of course, as a doctor I am first and foremost worried about my patients, but this time it’s not the only thing.” Mrs Ayukawa shook her head. “You should’ve seen it, Asuka. The whole corridor was torn up and even the ceiling has caved in at some spots. Err… Asuka?” 

Asuka didn’t look at her. Her eyes were fixed at the two students behind the glass. She was clenching her fists so hardly her knuckles must’ve turned white, but she didn’t care. “I’m going to find them”, she muttered. 

“Asuka?” 

“The person who did this”, Asuka replied. “I’m going to find them and make them pay. They’re dared to harm my students. This is absolutely unforgivable!” 

The woman turned her head and gazed through the glass. Worry was written all over her normally so composed face. “You’ve made up your mind. Then let me wish you good luck.” 

“Thank you”, Asuka said and turned around. With each step the ice inside her seemed to grow colder. She wouldn’t allow anyone to hurt her students and get away with it. That was the responsibility – no, the duty – she had taken. 

“Just you wait.” 

  


* * *

  


Rei held her breath as she tensed her muscles and reached up for the next ledge above her. The rock was slippery and her fingers were numb from the cold spray that splashed up here and so she needed a maximum amount of concentration and strength just to hold herself. 

Just a little higher… a little… 

She tensed even her toes to push herself up this last missing inch. Then, finally, her fingers managed to find the little crack in the rock and slipped in, digging into it hard enough to hold her as she searched for a spot to place her foot on. When she found one, she decided to stop for a moment to take a breath. 

Beneath her the waves were crashing loudly against the rocky shore. It was very steep here and there was just one narrow path which led to this point. Rei didn’t know how many other students had used it before her. It couldn’t be many. 

Now though, she was the only one crazy enough to train here. The steepness of the scarp and the sharp rocks which loomed out of the water made it a true challenge to climb here. One mistake was likely to cause death, either by being impaled by the rocks or drowned by the relentless current which would throw you against the rocks until you fell unconscious. It was an impossible challenge for someone who was afraid to die. Maybe that was one of the reasons she came here, because she wanted to affirm herself of her will to live. 

Of course there were others too. 

She sighed and decided to go on, slowly, self-controlled. She had done it dozens of times before. She knew most of the paths that led to the top, knew the safe spots as well as the dangerous ones. Still, she forced herself to forget about them each time she came here. Each time she wanted to climb it as though it was the first time, as though she knew nothing about it. No matter whether she knew the enemy or not, the result must be the same. That was the law of the battlefield, as Instructor Sanders would put it. 

It was kind of sad he retired. He had been such an excellent teacher. Well, of course his teachings were hardly compatible with the credo Miss Asuka tried to implement, so Rei figured he had been more or less forced to retire. 

Working together… in a _team_ … What nonsense! If duellists decided to rely on others instead of themselves, they neglected their training and became dull and rusty. In order to keep growing stronger, the needed to vie with each other, trying to aim for the top. The invasion in Xyz was the best example for that. The duellists who had grown up in peace and wasted their time with petty child’s play had been no match against the soldiers of Academia who had trained just for themselves. Only those who survived the first time, who were forced to struggle for their lives, becoming stronger with every day, on their own, without any comrades to depend on… those had become a force that was able to hold their ground against the Professor’s troops. They had accepted the law of the battlefield and it had made them stronger than they would’ve been able to if they had clung to their duelling-for-fun mentality. 

Of course, Rei hadn’t seen that with her own eyes. She had only heard about it from older students and the public speeches held by the Professor or Commander Phoenix. And yet, it had sounded so right. Optimising the individual strength of each person and then combining them to outmatch the opponent in every aspect. That was the purpose of a team. That was the way of duelling she wanted to remain true to. She didn’t need anything like teamwork. She had never needed it. 

_“Wow! Rei, we did it! This was our third victory.”_

Rei flinched as her fingers nearly slipped and she struggled to maintain her grip. 

_“We’re a good team, aren’t we?”_

_“Yes. Of course.”_

No! That wasn’t true! They hadn’t been a team. 

_“Hey, do you think they’ll accept two winners?”_

Angrily she gritted her teeth and fought down the voice inside her head. This wasn’t the time. Her very life was on the line right now. 

She reached up and nearly gave out a shriek when the rock crumbled beneath her fingers and she slumped back for a few inches before she managed to catch herself with her other limbs. 

Damn it. That had been close. Just what was this? Why was it so hard to focus today? Was it frustration because she had failed the exam? Or was it… something deeper? 

Vigorously she shook her head. She knew the answer, but she didn’t have time to think about it. Her stamina was limited and if she was too slow, then her fingers might give out before she reached the top. The thinking had to be done when she was finished. 

She tightened her grip and looked up, searching for the next spot to place her hand at. She was surprised how far she had come. The top seemed to be quite close already, although she knew how misleading and dangerous that way of thinking was. Too many of her classmates kept making that mistake, counting their victory before it had been won. A true duellist must never underestimate the opponent. Every move they made, every card they drew could possibly turn the game around. That was a fact one mustn’t forget. Never. 

She drew in a deep breath and worked her way up, one foot after another, one crack here, another notch there, taking every chance which allowed her to get a bit higher. It was very satisfying, feeling the rock beneath her fingers, the pain in her arms, the harsh wind tugging at her clothes. Every step she made was a fight for her life. If she made a wrong decision, if her body wasn’t able to withstand the strain, she’d die. There was no lifeline holding her, no rescue net to catch her. And that’s why every inch she managed to win was her own, personal victory, precious beyond measure. 

She wasn’t afraid of falling. In fact, she was fine if she died here as a result of her own decisions, of her own mistakes. She didn’t want anyone to save her. Never again. 

“Hey, who… who are you?” 

Rei blinked, startled by the voice, and looked up. Those words hadn’t been spoken inside her head. The wind had carried them to her, so it must’ve come from somewhere above her, but since she couldn’t make out any face looking down at her, she guessed they couldn’t have meant her. 

Calming herself down, she focused back on the rock and climbed on. Becoming hectic was the last thing she was supposed to do. 

She heard the voice again, followed by a second one, but the wind seemed to have changed and so they were too quiet to understand anything. 

After a while she noticed a red glow over her head, followed by a loud roar. Then a heavy shock ran through the scarp and Rei’s feet slipped off. She barely managed to dig her right hand into the rock before the other lost its grip as well. 

Oh fuck. Fuck Fuck Fuck! 

The crashing of the waves beneath her suddenly rang unbelievably loud in her ears as she frantically tried to find purchase. Her hand began to hurt. Holding the entire weight of her body was too much for it. Panic stirred inside her, blurring her mind, as she ran her hand over the rock face until she finally found a crack she could cling to. A moment later she also managed to set her left foot on a small protrusion. 

Relieved, she took a few breaths, holding onto the rock as her literal lifeline, before she dared to wonder what had just happened. An explosion strong enough to make the entire cliff quake? That was hardly possible, was it? 

Trying to keep her calm, she climbed on, hasty this time. She had been damn lucky. If there was another impact like that, she might not be able to maintain her grip. 

After a painfully long minute she finally reached the edge and pulled herself up, quickly moving away from it. 

In the distance she saw the figure of a man, clad in a long, black coat, who walked away, eventually disappearing behind the outer wall of the Osiris dorm. He didn’t look like he was a student here. Just when she wondered if she should follow him, her mind came to realise the sight that was unfolding in front of her. 

Within a radius of roughly thirty feet the sparse grass which had been growing here had disappeared, making way for nothing but burned soil. In the centre the ground had torn up and… there was something lying there. 

Rei gasped in shock when she recognised the shape of a human. Quickly she ran towards him and leaned over him. 

Oh fuck! This was bad. His uniform was mostly burned and it was hard to recognise the former yellow next to the bloody mass of his flesh. He needed immediate treatment or else he was going to die. 

With shaking fingers Rei took out her Duel Disk and made an emergency call. 

“Hello? Ayukawa here?” 

“Hello? Here is Saotome Rei. I’ve just found a student who’s heavily injured. You have to come immediately. I’m on the eastern cliff right now. Please, come quickly. He’s going to bleed to death otherwise.” 

“I understand. I’ll come right away. Don’t leave him. Do you know how to provide first aid?” 

“No, ma'am.” 

“Damn it. Then try to talk to him and calm him down until I’m there.” 

With that she hung up. 

Clueless, Rei glanced down at the student. He was clearly unconscious, so what point was there in talking to him? Anyway, if the doctor said so, then there must be a meaning behind it. 

She just wondered what the hell had happened here. This place looked like it had been struck by a meteor. 


	4. Innocent Malice

Asuka was woken by the ring of her Duel Disk. A glance at the clock told her it was two o’clock p.m., two hours after she had fallen asleep. 

“Yes?” she asked drowsily after her hands managed to find the right key. 

_“Asuka? It’s me. I have another victim here.”_

Asuka made a grimace and breathed out, producing a rattling sound. “How many is that?” 

_“Four in total”_ , Mrs Ayukawa answered. 

Asuka was amazed how calm she was able to keep her voice, as if having four students in a critical condition didn’t even bother her. Of course she knew that wasn’t the case. Mrs Ayukawa was a kind and empathetic woman who would do anything to save a life. In the last sixteen hours she must have worked just as much as Asuka had. 

“I’m sorry, but Sora told me he was going to knock me out if I didn’t rest for at least two hours”, she replied. “So unless there is another emergency…” 

_“It’s different”_ , the doctor interrupted her. _“We have a witness this time.”_

At once Asuka sat up. A witness? This was… no. If this could provide them with a clue, then she couldn’t ignore it. “Alright. I’ll be there right away”, she said into the Disk and pushed away her blanket. 

When she got up, she gave herself a brief glance in the mirror which was leaning against the wall. She looked pretty much how she felt, her long blonde hair was in disorder and she had huge bags under her eyes. It didn’t surprise her. After all she had barely slept. 

Yesterday would’ve been an exhausting day already, even if she hadn’t had to deal with the exam at the training facility. And on top of that there had been this sudden attack on her students which had forced her to gather Sora and a few of the other honour students to start investigating that incident. Then, early in the morning, there had been a second attack and she had realised there were more to come. Asuka had summoned the teachers and made an announcement so all students would move in small groups and kept to their classrooms or the dormitories where it was possible to deploy enough guards. After that she had conferred with Sora and the remaining honour students and they had formed teams in order to search the island. She had intended to take part in that as well, but that was when Sora had pointed out she was on the brink of collapsing already and ordered her to take a rest. 

Yes, she guessed there was a good reason she looked like a walking corpse. She had even forgotten to slip out of her clothes before she had dropped onto her bed. 

Sighing aloud, she reached for her jacket and left her quarters. When she opened the door to the infirmary five minutes later, she nearly bumped into the short figure of Sora who was waiting for her with crossed arms. 

“Asuka?” he asked in an upset tone. 

“Oh… Sora! I… sorry”, she muttered guilty. “I know I broke my promise, but Mrs Ayukawa…” 

“I know, I know”, Sora interrupted her. “She told me as well. You can treat me when they have chocolate cake at the cafeteria again. What I’d like to know is what took you so long. Even I came here faster than you and I was on the other side of the island.” 

Without waiting for an answer, he turned around and moved to the door behind him which led to Mrs Ayukawa’s office. Asuka was surprised to find Rei sitting in one of the chairs in front of the desk, a deeply unhappy look on her face. 

Anger stirred inside her, at herself, but most of all at the person who was running around, attacking her students. She hadn’t yet thought about how the students must feel who had found the victims, friends, classmates they had spent a lot of time with. Nobody deserved to go through such an experience, especially not children like Rei. 

“How do you feel, little troublemaker?” she asked friendly and squatted down in front of her. 

Rei’s head flicked up and she immediately tried to put on a neutral face. “I am fine, Miss Asuka. You needn’t worry about me.” 

Asuka sighed inwardly. Most of the students kept talking to her like a superior, someone they needed to pay respect to. Of course, as a teacher and head of Academia, she was aware that this was necessary to some degree, but she wished it wouldn’t make her feel like a commander or a lady, reigning high above the common people, instead of the simple woman she was. 

“I’m glad to hear that”, she replied nevertheless and sat down across her. She cast a quick glance at Sora, but the boy simply hopped onto the cot lining the wall and merrily licked his lollipop. “Please, tell us everything you’ve seen”, she said, turning back to the girl in front of her. 

“Yes, ma’am”, Rei replied obediently, causing Asuka to suppress the urge to sigh again. “I’ve been climbing the cliff at the eastern end of the island when suddenly I felt an impact and saw a red glow overhead. When I reached the top, I found that Ra Yellow in the middle of a burned crater.” 

Asuka turned to Sora. “What do you think? Could it have been a bomb?” 

“Maybe”, the boy replied. “Or an explosion caused by a Duel Disk.” 

“But how could that be? We’ve limited the power output of all Duel Disks. It should be impossible to injure someone with any of them.” 

“True”, Sora said and took his lollipop out of his mouth, pensively twisting it between his fingers. “But that just means they either know how to revert our changes or we have missed their Disk for some reason.” 

Asuka nodded. At this point they shouldn’t rule out anything. “What about the culprit?” she asked Rei. “Did you see them?” 

The girl nodded. “Yes. At least I think so, but it was only from a distance and from behind. He looked male and wore a long, black coat. He had about waist-length brown hair.” 

Asuka frowned. That was a very striking description, so it was strange the search teams hadn’t found anything yet. But still, such information was more than helpful. 

“Thank you, Rei”, she muttered before turning to Sora again. “Could you relay that description to the search teams?” 

Sora nodded and hopped to his feet. “I don’t think we’ll be able to find anyone though. There’s too few of us to search the whole island while protecting the students at the same time.” 

Asuka cast down her eyes. “I see.” At such a moment she wished she hadn’t reduced the guard so drastically. It was the same with the attacks of the Doktor’s mind-controlled students three months ago. 

“Umm… Excuse me?” Rei asked suddenly. “Until now that man has only attacked students who moved around alone or as a pair, right? Then how about we try to lure him out with a decoy?” 

Both Asuka and Sora gave her a surprised look. It was a good idea, Asuka thought. The question was who was supposed to act as decoy. She couldn’t do it since everyone at Academia knew who she was. And one of the other honour students? No, that would look too suspicious. It had to be someone who didn’t look like it could be a trap. 

Suddenly she hesitated when her mind processed what exactly Rei had said. “Wait. What do you mean with _‘we’_?” 

The girl met her wary gaze with firm resolve. 

“Well, _I_ will be the decoy.” 

“No way!” Asuka said strictly. 

Rei narrowed her eyes angrily. “It was my idea, so you have to include me. And besides, you don’t have anyone else, do you?” 

Asuka sighed in frustration. Compared to the time when she had taken over the school and had to reproach the girl for constantly being at places she shouldn’t be, Rei had gotten a lot better at arguing. 

“Still, it’s far too dangerous”, she said. “You have seen what happened to the students who met that guy. I can’t let you do something that dangerous.” 

“But, Miss Asuka, I am old enough to decide for myself”, Rei snapped defiantly. “And I’m more than capable of defending myself. There’s no one in my class who’s able to keep up with me, so please let me do this. I’m not afraid.” 

“But you should be. Risking one’s life has nothing to do with courage, just with recklessness.” 

They glared at each other. Asuka knew the girl was too stubborn to give in, but as her teacher Asuka was responsible to keep her safe, so she couldn’t do that as well. 

“Hey, Asuka. I think we should let her do it.” 

“What? But, Sora…” Asuka began, giving the boy a disbelieving glance. 

“You know we don’t have that many options. And besides, right now there isn’t any safe place here anyway.” 

From the corner of her eye she caught a glimpse of the triumphant smirk on Rei’s face. 

“No”, she said strictly. “I’m not going to allow it. It’s far too dangerous to let her go out alone.” 

“Who said we’re going to do that?” Sora asked and took out his lollipop once more. Then a smile grew over his lips. “I’m going to accompany her of course.” 

  


* * *

  


Rei suppressed a shiver as a chill breeze came up and crept into her bones. Feeling cold was a sign of lacking inurement. A soldier should have transcended corporeal flaws and obtain optimal performance regardless of weather, temperature or environment. At least that was what Instructor Sanders had taught her. The boy beside her however… 

She wasn’t really sure what to think of him. She knew he was one year older than her and he had been the best student of his grade, strong enough to have been entrusted with a special mission by the Professor. And yet, he had defected and joined the enemy, participating in the battle which had taken place at Academia one year ago and led to the appearance of the giant dragon which had caused a lot of destruction all over the island. Following its defeat and the disappearance of the Professor, he had assisted Miss Asuka in the reformation of Academia and became one of her closest aides and the de-facto commander of the honour students, although he didn’t have any such official title. Both the Professor and Miss Asuka had put their trust in him, so he had to be skilled. 

However, there was such a huge contrast between that fact and the laid-back attitude he displayed. Until now Rei hadn’t seen him serious at all and he seemed to be constantly eating some kind of candy. Even now when they were trying to act as a decoy for the mysterious assailant he was carrying a package of chocolate sticks around, nibbling them one after another. It was hard to believe he was more than a simple kid. And also… 

“Say, do you really think this is effective?” she asked quietly. “Until now the assailant has selected students who were alone, so we might have a bigger chance if we split up.” 

“May be”, he mumbled, swallowing the rest of his chocolate stick. “But this was the only way Asuka would let you go.” He gave her a smirk. “You want to be here, don’t you?” 

Rei averted her eyes. After Miss Asuka had finally agreed to her plan, Rei had tried to sneak out on her own, but when she passed the gates, Shiunin had already been there and told her he had been waiting for her. 

“Yes. This was my plan. Of course I want to be here. But…” She fell quiet. 

“You don’t like me, do you?” Shiunin completed her sentence. 

She blinked, once again surprised how easily he had seen through her. “No, I don’t like you.” 

“Thought so”, he muttered and tilted back his head, gazing at the cloudy sky overhead. “It isn’t because of what I said to you yesterday, is it?” 

Rei blinked. Oh, right. After the exam he had reproached her for attacking that Obelisk Blue girl. She had almost forgotten about that already. 

“No. Although I still think I was right.” 

“If you say so.” 

Her face twitched a little and she gave him a sidelong glance. That was exactly what annoyed her so much about him. It seemed he didn’t even care about his words from yesterday. 

“So? What’s the reason for your dislike?” he asked boredly, as though he was hardly expecting her answer to be any interesting. 

Rei stopped and after a moment he did so too, raising his brow. 

“The reason for my dislike…” she began angrily “…is that you are the person who’s supposed to replace Instructor Sanders.” 

Shiunin tilted his head and a hint of understanding flickered in his eyes. 

“Sanders was a man I deeply admired”, she continued with trembling shoulders. “His thoughts and ideals really captivated me. I wanted to become one of the true soldiers he was talking about. That goal gave me strength. It made my life seem meaningful.” She gave Shiunin a contemptuous glance. “And then, overnight, we’re told that Sanders has retired and we’re supposed to repeat that stupid mantra of friendship and teamwork from now on. And who is supposed to make us do that? You.” 

“I see”, the boy muttered thoughtfully before he cracked a wry smile. “So you want me to say things like _‘For the glory of Academia!’_ and _‘Only the strongest may survive’_?” 

“No”, Rei said frustrated. “See? That’s exactly what I mean. You’re so… Why can’t you be serious for once?” 

“Why?” he asked amused. “As long as things don’t get serious, there’s no reason for me to get serious either.” 

“But things _are_ serious. Every day we spend here is supposed to prepare us for our future. Every day we waste with playing around is going to hit us later on.” 

Shiunin cracked a faint smile. “And what kind of future are you going to have? A noble combat on a battlefield?” 

Rei shot him an angry glare. He really knew how to hit her with his sarcastic comments. 

“Of course not. I know you and Miss Asuka try to turn Academia from a training camp into a real school and I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that.” She paused for a moment and took a deep breath, breathing out her frustration about his remarks and breathing in the calmness she needed in order to put her thoughts into words. 

“I’m well aware that what we’ve been doing before wasn’t right and I certainly don’t want to march into war. But… The things we’ve learned here weren’t bad. I just… I just don’t want you to toy with our beliefs the way you like it. Not the Professor and not you.” 

Shiunin glanced at her for a long moment and for the first time Rei had the feeling he was really looking at her earnestly. 

“I see. So that’s why you refuse to fit in with a team.” 

She blinked, surprised by the sudden change in topics. 

“Umm… no. Actually that isn’t the reason for that. I simply can’t stand working in a team. I’m strong on my own. Forced into a team where the decisions of someone else hold me back, I feel choked.” When she looked at him, she was surprised to see a faint smile on his lips. 

“What’s so funny about that?” 

“Oh, it’s not about you”, he replied. “Your words just reminded me how it was the same with me. I didn’t like teams as well.” 

“Huh? Really?” 

He nodded. 

“What… What happened?” 

He tilted back his head and his gaze drifted off into the distance. “I met comrades whom I trusted enough to accept that handicap. And I noticed I was able to obtain a different kind of strength while fighting together with them.” He gave her an excusing smile. “Can’t tell you if it’s going to be the same for you though. I guess you have to think for yourself what you want to do in a team. Just like you have to decide for yourself what beliefs you want to make yours.” 

“That… That won’t be necessary”, Rei muttered after a few seconds. “I’m not going to take the exam again. Fighting in a team is just a waste of time for me.” 

Shiunin breathed out a long breath. “I see. So you’ve already made up your mind.” 

Rei lowered her gaze a little and they walked quietly for a few seconds. 

“Or is it because of Martin?” 

Rei froze on the spot, piercing his back with a shocked gaze. In fact, she felt as though from one moment to the next her heart had started to pump solid ice through her veins. 

Crap. Had he…? Yes, he must’ve known from the beginning. It appeared despite his innocent appearance he was far more dangerous than she had thought. 

“What do you know about him?” she asked in a calm, composed tone. 

Shiunin smirked. “I just know what’s written in the records”, he answered lightly before getting serious. “Martin Kanou, twelve years old. During a practical exam in the training facility two years ago he had an accident and died as a result. Judging from your reaction I guess he is the reason you acted so over the top during the exam. Was he… a friend of yours?” 

“A friend?” she echoed bitterly. “No. No, he wasn’t.” 

He took another bite from his stick, not looking at her. “He wasn’t, huh? Then why are you so upset? Could it be you were more than friends?” 

Shiunin’s face hardly showed a reaction when Rei grabbed his collar and pinned him against the wall. Somehow that angered her even more. 

“It would be better for you if you stopped prying into others’ lives, Shiunin Sora”, she spat, her voice filled with venom. Then she took a deep breath and bitterness clenched her heart once more. “That report was wrong. It wasn’t an accident that killed Martin. You want to know what happened? I killed him. That’s what happened.” 

After a few seconds she let go of his collar and turned away. Shiunin gazed at her, a mixture of shock and sympathy in his eyes, and yet at the same time there also was a strange kind of indifference, as if her story hardly had anything to do with him. Of course it hadn’t, but… somehow she would’ve expected something… more of a reaction. 

Damn it. She had never talked to anyone about Martin before, so why had she decided to tell him of all people? Damn it! 

“Are you happy now?” she hissed glumly. 

Slowly he moved away from the wall. “Yes. I have all the reason to be happy.” 

She whipped around, ready to slap him, but then she noticed he wasn’t gazing _at_ but _past_ her. Confused she turned around and jerked back when she recognised the tall figure in the long black coat standing across them. It was the same man she had seen at the cliff. That was for sure. 

Crap. She had been so infuriated by Shiunin’s questions that she hadn’t even noticed him. In a battle that would’ve been a fatal mistake. 

“So I guess you are the guy who’s been attacking all the students”, Shiunin muttered with a broad grin and stepped between her and the stranger. “Good. I’ve wanted to meet you.” 

The man didn’t answer, though when he raised his head a little, Rei noticed the upper half of his face was hidden behind a black mask. 

“Just to be safe”, the man began in a hoarse voice which sounded like he had just started to use it after a long time of muteness. “Let me ask you: Are you from Academia?” 

Shiunin’s smirk grew even wider as he reached for his belt and unfastened his Duel Disk, attaching it to his arm instead. “I sure am. There’s no denying that.” 

“I see”, the man replied and activated his own Duel Disk. “In that case I have no reason to hold back. Burn for me, will you?” 

Quickly Rei reached for her Disk as well, but Shiunin caught her wrist and shook his head. 

“This isn’t your fight”, he muttered. 

After a moment of surprise defiance boiled up inside of her. “What was that?” she asked, her voice brimming with barely controlled anger. “Are you saying I’m not good enough to fight him? Did you think you could just use me to lure him out and then have me stand by on the side line? You Obelisk Blues are all the same, aren’t you?” 

“No, that’s not the point”, Shiunin replied with sudden earnestness, his eyes fixed at the man across him. “I am well aware of your abilities. Otherwise I wouldn’t have convinced Asuka to let you join me. But… this guy isn’t trying to attack certain students, but Academia itself. And as the head of security on this island…” He lowered his voice and a grim expression flashed over his face. “…I can hardly think of a bigger insult.” 

He turned his head and gave her a bright, innocent smile. “Stopping him here before he can hurt anyone else is my job, so I’m asking you to leave this fight to me.” 

Rei considered him for a few seconds before she relaxed and gave him a nod. She could see in his eyes that he was being serious about this. For the first time he was serious about something. She couldn’t help but wonder what he, the boy who had earned Miss Asuka’s as well as the Professor’s respect, was capable of. 

“I don’t mind duelling both of you at once”, the man said before he gave out a choked cough. 

“That’s pretty big words for someone who’s not at his best”, Shiunin replied with a grin. “But don’t worry. I am more than enough for you to deal with.” 

“Interesting”, the main said and suppressed another cough. “The others have said similar things. Pride seems to be still common at this place.” 

“Who knows? How about you find out yourself?” 

Both of them tensed up and took a fighting stance and suddenly Rei felt as though the atmosphere had changed completely. There was a strange pressure weighing down on her and made her flesh creep. Was this… how a battle between two really strong duellists felt? Anyway, the guy with the mask mustn’t be underestimated. That much was for sure. 

  


DUEL: SORA vs UNKNOWN

FORMAT: Standard Duel 

  


“How about you take the first turn?” Shiunin asked energetically. 

“Very well”, the masked man said and glanced down at his cards. “I start by Normal Summoning _Black of Legend_.” 

The earth in front of him began to bulge upward, moulding into a large, egg-shaped ball (ATK: 0). 

“Next I activate its effect. By tributing it, I can Special Summon a _Red-Eyes_ monster from my deck. Arise! _Red-Eyes Black Dragon_!” 

A web of cracks ran over the stone orb before it split open, revealing a red glowing core of fire from which a black shadow emerged. Rei gasped when she stared at the dreadful shape of a dragon, entirely covered with black scales (ATK: 2400). 

For some reason it looked… familiar. She had seen that dragon before. Just where? And when? 

She tried to focus on that feeling, tried to remember, when suddenly a sharp needle of pain flashed through her mind and her vision began to grow blurry. What… What the hell was this? 

“And to make you regret allowing you to take the first turn, I activate _Black Flame Blast_ to inflict damage equal to the original ATK of my _Red-Eyes_.” 

Rei perceived the man’s voice through a thick, hazy veil, and she was barely able to see the crimson orb which began to form in its mouth. Then something pushed against her and sent her flying, smacking her hardly against the ground. Before she had the chance to understand what had happened, a strong wave of heat rolled over her and she had to turn her face away from it. 

When the feeling vanished after a second, she looked up only to find Shiunin standing in a circle of dark smoke. His clothes were scorched and his Life Points had dropped to 1600. 

_He must’ve pushed you out of the way so you don’t get hurt_ , a voice inside her head noted. _Once again you’ve been in the way._

_Oh, shut up_ , she replied angrily, silencing the voice as she got back to her feet. 

The impact had had a positive effect as well. At least she was able to see and hear clearly again. 

“Your suffering has just begun”, the man said grimly and played a new card from his hand. “I activate _Fusion_ in order to combine the power of my _Red-Eyes_ on my field with _Red-Eyes Doomstar Dragon – Meteor Dragon_ in my hand. Unstoppable dragon which falls from the sky, true dragon of darkness, become one of body and spirit and bring forth an earth-smashing calamity! Fusion Summon! Bathe the lands in the glow of doom! _Comet Dragon – Meteor Black Dragon_!” 

Rei gasped when the clouds tore open, revealing the burning shape of a huge dragon which descended quickly, spreading its dark wings to slow down its fall, coming to a stop not far above the ground (ATK: 3500). 

“When _Meteor Black Dragon_ is Fusion Summoned”, the man continued, “I am allowed to send a _Red-Eyes_ monster from my deck to the graveyard to inflict damage equal to half its original ATK.” 

He briefly searched through his deck, picked the card he needed and sent it to the respective slot in his Duel Disk. 

“The monster I choose is _Red-Eyes Black Flare Dragon_ with 2400 ATK.” 

The huge dragon on his field gave out a roar and the faint shape of a smaller dragon appeared in front of it before fading into the flames which quickly intensified and came surging down at Shiunin. 

Rei managed to raise her arms just in time to shield her face from the fire and then a hot sensation licked over her arms (Sora: 1600 – 400 LP). Shiunin dropped to his knees and his breath was going heavy. Part of his light blue hair and his jacket had turned black. In fact the very air around him was shimmering with heat. And yet, despite that, Rei saw a broad grin on his face. 

She wasn’t able to understand why. It was the very first turn and he was already down to ten percent of his Life Points and up against an immensely powerful monster. How could he be… enjoying that? 

“I set one card face down and end my turn”, the man said calmly. 

To her surprise Shiunin began to laugh. “Wow, it’s been a long time since someone has made me feel this on the edge!” Slowly he got back to his feet and narrowed his gaze at his opponent. “That makes me eager to return the favour. I draw!” 

He took a step forward and left the circle of burned earth the dragons’ attacks had created. 

“From my hand I activate the effect of _Furnimal Bear_. By sending it to the graveyard, I can set a _Toy Vendor_ directly from my deck.” 

Rei blinked. Was it just her or had he just said _‘Furnimal’_? What kind of a deck was that? 

“Alright!” he shouted with a beaming smile. “Next I Normal Summon _Furnimal Penguin_. And its effect allows me to Special Summon _Furnimal Owl_ from my hand.” 

Yes. She hadn’t misheard, she thought baffled as she watched the two stuffed animals appear in front of him ( _Penguin_ : ATK 1600; _Owl_ : ATK 1000). But still, she didn’t really want to believe it. Shiunin’s deck looked like that of a six-year-old. How could such a boy possibly have succeeded Instructor Sanders? 

“And now I activate the effect of my _Owl_. When it has been summoned, I can add _Fusion_ from my deck to my hand.” He gave his opponent an innocent smile. “And don’t be angry at me when I use it, okay?” 

He lowered his head a little and suddenly his smile didn’t look innocent at all. On the contrary his green eyes shimmered with joy, a dark, malicious sort of joy. 

“I activate the Spell Card _Fusion_. Let me invite you to your personal hell. I fuse _Edge Imp Scissors_ from my hand with _Furnimal Penguin_ on my field. Demonic claws. Become one with the seabound bird and show us your new powerful form! Fusion Summon! Show yourself! Sea devil that steals freedom and pulls everything into the darkness! _Death-Toy Haken Kraken_!” 

Rei’s jaw dropped open as the fluffy penguin bloated and turned into a round shape which then tore up, billowing out some of the stuffing. Several deathly sharp-edged tentacles whizzed around it, cutting the air in thin slices. When a large, sharp-toothed mouth opened up between its two bulging eyes and a creepy second pair lit up inside the absolute blackness inside it, Rei involuntarily took a step back (ATK: 2200). This definitely wasn’t a child’s toy anymore. 

Suddenly she heard the steps of boots on the ground and young men and women mostly in blue uniforms appeared around them, so suddenly Rei wondered whether they could’ve moulded out of thin air. They formed a loose circle around them, close enough to intercept anyone who tried to escape. 

“What are you doing there, Sora?” the voice of Miss Asuka asked from behind them. “This wasn’t the plan.” 

“I know, I know”, Shiunin said in his usual laid-back voice. “I just couldn’t help it.” He narrowed his voice and malice flickered over his face once again. “When I saw that guy, I suddenly felt like playing with him. So please let me finish up before you take him away, yes?” 

Miss Asuka gave him an appraising glance before she closed her eyes and nodded. “Okay. Do as you please.” 

Shiunin grinned once more and turned back to his opponent who had watched the arrival of the honour students with indifference. 

“What’s this?” he asked with a hint of surprise. “You’re not going to rely on your reinforcements?” 

“Oh, don’t be mistaken”, Shiunin replied. “I alone am your opponent. They are just here to make sure you don’t run away before I beat the crap out of you.” 

“Run away?” the man asked plainly. “Seems you’ve gotten the wrong idea. The Professor and his aides have always let their underlings do the dirty work for them. I know they won’t show themselves before I eliminate all who serve them. I have absolutely no reason to run away.” 

“The Professor, yes?” Shiunin muttered wryly. “So he’s the one you’re after? Sorry, but in that case what you’re doing here seems pretty pointless to me. We don’t have any idea where the Professor is.” 

“And why should I believe that?” 

After a moment of surprise Shiunin tilted back his head and gave out a brief laugh. “True. You don’t have any reason to. Well, since this conversation doesn’t seem to get us anywhere, how about we continue our duel? I activate the effect of _Furnimal Penguin_ in my graveyard. When it has been used for the Fusion Summon of a _Death-Toy_ monster, I can draw two cards and discard one.” 

Shiunin’s lips curved once again into a wide, eerie smile as he slipped the card into the graveyard. “And guess what: The card I discarded was _Edge Imp Chain_. Its effect allows me to add _Death-Toy Patchwork_ from my deck to my hand.” 

Rei glanced over to his opponent, but to her surprise the masked man didn’t show any sign of unease at the dreadful look of Shiunin’s monster. Had he… expected something like this? That would mean he had approached them deliberately although he was aware it might be a trap. That was terrifying. What the hell was going on in his head? 

“Hey, don’t be impressed yet. This was just the beginning!” Shiunin shouted and raised his hand over his head. “I activate the effect of _Edge Imp Scissors_ in my graveyard. I can place one card from my hand on top of my deck and Special Summon it in defence position.” 

A circular portal opened up in the ground and a tied together series of scissors with a red pair of eyes glowing inside them alighted from it (DEF: 800). 

“Next I activate my face-down _Toy Vendor_. Once per turn I can discard one card to draw the top card of my deck, and if it’s a _Furnimal_ monster, I’m allowed to Special Summon it.” 

Almost caressingly he placed his fingers on the top of his deck and drew. “And of course the card I drew is the one I just placed there: _Furnimal Cat_.” 

Rei was careful enough not to let herself be deceived by the cute outlook of the little winged feline that appeared in front of him (ATK: 700). When Shiunin’s lips curved in another wide grin, she realised she had been right to do so. 

“I activate the Spell Card _Death-Toy Patchwork_. This allows me to add _Fusion_ as well as _Edge Imp Saw_ from my deck to my hand. And why not put them to use? I activate _Fusion_ to combine the powers of _Edge Imp Saw_ in my hand with _Furnimal Cat_ on my field.” 

He clapped his hands together above his head as the two monsters rose into the air, melting into the yellow-blue vortex of light. 

“Steel blades possessed by demons. Become one with the undersized predator and shake the jungle with your roar! Fusion Summon! Show yourself! King of the hundred beasts that tears everything to pieces! _Death-Toy Wheelsaw Leo_!” 

Shiunin’s new monster looked even more gruesome than the first one. Its body was completely torn, only connected by the shimmering saw blades that split both its torso as well as its head in half. It large eyes rolled oddly and the far too wide grin on its face looked more than just eerie (ATK: 2400). 

“But why stop here?” the boy asked in a creepy voice. “When _Furnimal Cat_ has been used as Fusion Material, I can add _Fusion_ from my graveyard back to my hand. And I’ll activate it right away to fuse _Edge Imp Scissors_ and _Furnimal Owl_ on my field. Claws of the Demon. Become one with the nightly bird of prey and fill with world with the laughter of hell! Fusion Summon! Show yourself! Insane devil that delivers cruel punishment! _Death-Toy Daredevil_!” 

When Shiunin brought down his hands, the vortex behind him lit up and revealed a fiend-like toy with demonic horns and bat-wings, wielding a black trident. The stuffing was billowing out of multiple tears and two large pins stuck out of it head (ATK: 3000). 

Rei was deeply impressed. The boy had performed three Fusion Summons on his very first turn and although he was down to 400 Life Points, he had turned the tables completely. The only thing that worried her a little was that none of his monsters was strong enough to defeat the 3500 ATK _Meteor Black Dragon_. 

Shiunin reached into his pocket, but instead of the chocolate sticks from before he took out a big lollipop, tore away the plastic and plopped it into his mouth. Then Rei heard a crunching noise and with a wide grin he began to crack the candy with his teeth. 

“And now to take down that dragon of yours…” He raised one hand above his head. “I activate _Wheelsaw Leo’s_ effect. Once per turn I can destroy a face-up monster you control and inflict damage equal to half its original ATK. _Wheelsaw Leo_ , saw up that chicken up there!” 

The sinister-looking toy gave out a wild, insane laugh and convulsed in ostensible pain before bending backwards, releasing a razor-sharp spinning saw blade which flew at the dragon, tearing apart first its right wing before turning around and coming back for its left wing as well. With a roar filled with both wrath and anguish the huge dragon fell towards the ground from where a second saw blade came spinning upwards, slicing the dragon in half (Unknown: 4000 – 2250 LP). 

If it unsettled him to have lost his strongest monster, the masked man didn’t show it though. “When Meteor _Black Comet Dragon_ is sent from my field to the graveyard, I can Special Summon Red-Eyes Black Dragon from my graveyard.” 

A ring of fire appeared where _Meteor Black Dragon_ would’ve hit the ground, blazed up for a brief moment before revealing the black shape of the dragon which once again felt so terribly familiar to Rei (ATK: 2400). 

Shiunin’s smirk grew almost as wide as that of his monsters and his eyes shimmered with a ferocity that would’ve fit more to a wild beast in the jungle than a human. 

“Oh, thank you”, he muttered, his voice shaking with excitement. “I have a liking for opponents who struggle until the very end. That is what makes a duel true fun.” 

He spread both arms as though he was presenting his monsters to the opponent. “Allow me to show you the hell you have stepped in. Battle! _Death-Toy Daredevil_! Attack _Red-Eyes Black Dragon_!” 

_Daredevil_ opened its huge mouth so absurdly wide Rei thought the upper half of its head might come falling off, but instead of a roar, a flock of large black bats escaped its mouth and swarmed the dragon and with a painful wail it disappeared in a cloud of darkness (Unknown: 2250 – 1650 LP). 

“And whenever _Daredevil_ destroys a monster in battle, it leaves the opponent with a little present. And that’s one thousand points of damage!” _Daredevil_ raised its trident and a moment later the masked man was struck by a powerful thunderbolt which made him drop to his knees (Unknown: 1650 – 650 LP). 

The duel was over. Rei knew it and the honour students around them knew it as well. The masked man had lost his last defence. However, what troubled her more than that man was the wild laughter that was coming from Shiunin. The boy seemed to have entered a frenzy in which he didn’t perceive anything around him but the opponent in front of him. 

Rei suddenly felt very uncomfortable at being so close to him. If she imagined being an Xyz who came across such an enemy, she suddenly understood quite well why they still resented Academia so badly. The mere thought was disturbing. 

“Hey, hey, what’s this?” Shiunin asked gloatingly, cracking another piece of his lollipop. “Why are you on your knees already? I’m not done with you yet. I still have another monster that wants to torture you as well, so please get back to your feet.” 

Rei would’ve understood if the man had stayed down, paralysed with fear, or if he had tried to flee, intimidated by the malicious glare in Shiunin’s eyes. That he began to laugh was one of the last things she had expected. 

“Is that all you have, boy?” he asked and got back up. “You think this little bit of pain is hell? Then allow me to show you something.” Slowly he raised his hand to his face and took off the mask that had covered it. 

Rei gasped involuntarily as she stared at the man, at his deadly pale, a little yellowed skin, looking like a scroll of old parchment, at the hollow cheeks that marred his otherwise handsome features, and most of all the pair of brown eyes which emitted a coldness that managed to get right into her bones. 

“This is what it means to have gone through hell”, he continued and raised his head so the other students around could see him as well. “And compared to those long years of hell I had to suffer because of you, this little nightmare is nothing but a lame joke.” His eyes narrowed as he focused back on Shiunin alone. “You said you wanted to show me the hell I have stepped in. Now, let me show you mine. I activate my face-down _Red-Eyes Burn_. Since a _Red-Eyes_ monster has been destroyed, this card inflicts damage to both players equal to that monster’s original ATK.” 

The dark shape of _Red-Eyes Black Dragon_ returned to the field and it gave out a painful roar as its body began to crack, revealing a blazing radiance. 

Rei only had a moment to realise what was going to happen. From the corner of her eye she saw the honour students duck away, but she was too close. All she could do was bring up her arms to shield her face before the dragon exploded, bathing the surroundings in a light that was bright enough to burn through her lids and fill her eyes with dazzling pain. Just a fraction of a blink later the shockwave hit her and knocked her off her feet. To her surprise something grabbed her arms and pressed against her as she was hauled through the air. The something seemed to be the first thing to crash into the wall and softened the impact a little, though it was still hard enough to knock the wind out of her lungs. 

Silence rang in her ears, terrifyingly loud as if it was intent on mocking the sounds that should’ve been there in its stead. When Rei managed to open her eyes and blink away the haze blurring her vision, the first thing she saw was the red stain of blood. It ran down Shiunin’s temple and over his face, a streak of crimson that caused her eyes to grow wide with horror. 

She knew this sight. She had seen it before. 

_No. Don’t die here_ , she tried to say as she reached for his shoulders, but either her tongue was unable to say anything or her ears weren’t able to hear the words she uttered. 

_Please, wake up! Don’t die! Open your eyes! Please!_

Damn it! Just why? He had thrown himself in front of her to shield her from the explosion. But why had he done something like that? Why would anyone… do something that stupid? 

Suddenly her heart made a leap when Shiunin stirred and slowly opened his eyes. She could read her name on his lips: _Rei_. Then a pained expression flashed over his face as he tried to sit up, ignoring her attempt to stop him. Her relief was quickly displaced by the strong determination that glowed in his eyes and it made her feel hesitant to force him back down. 

“Where is he?” he muttered, squinting around. 

“He?” she echoed, too surprised she was able to hear again. 

Then she remembered. The man with the mask. The explosion had torn away part of his coat and his mask had shattered, but to her dismay he was already back on his feet. And the way he glared at him made her feel like she was nothing but a thin blade of grass about to be burned away by a raging wildfire. 

Fear surged through her, made her unable to turn her head. Those eyes… She… knew them… and then again, she didn’t. This… what was this? 

“Sora! Rei!” a voice shouted and made her look up. A worried Miss Asuka was approaching them, not taking her eyes off the man. 

“I’m fine. Don’t worry about me”, Shiunin growled, though it was quite obvious he was lying. 

Miss Asuka gave him a considerate glance before she nodded and turned to face the man. “Stop right there”, she said and activated her Duel Disk. “You have dared to attack my students. I am not going to forgive you for that.” 

The man cracked a grim smirk. “You’re not going to forgive me? Well, that’s fine. I’m not going to forgive you either. You… Academia… This whole goddamn island… I’m going to burn everything.” 

Miss Asuka tensed up and shot him the most sinister glare Rei had ever seen on her face. “I really wish there’d be a different solution. But if that’s what you want to do, you’ll need to get through me first.” 

“Wait, Asuka”, Shiunin said and tried to get to his feet, though his legs didn’t carry him and he fell against Rei. “Wait. This isn’t… your battle… Asuka.” 

“Sora! Stay down! You are in no condition to fight!” 

“But…” he protested weakly before Rei gave him a light punch which made him cough. 

“Sorry. But she’s right. You’re injured”, she said and laid him down. 

“Thanks”, Miss Asuka said with a faint smile and turned back to the man. However he was no longer glaring at her. Instead his eyes had grown wide and he stared at her, shock written all over his face. 

“Asuka?” he muttered. “No… No way. You are… Asuka?” 

Rei looked from him to Miss Asuka who was just as surprised as she was. 

“You know me? Then who… who are you?” 

The man gasped and took a step back. “You… You don’t… recognise me… Asuka?” 

Miss Asuka’s eyes narrowed as she considered him thoroughly, trying to solve the general confusion. 

“No, I don’t recognise you”, she said finally. “Who are you? Tell me your name.” 

The man ducked his head and gazed down at his curled up fist. A pained expression flashed over his haggard features. “I see. So they’ve even made you forget about me. Very well. They’re going to pay anyway.” Slowly he raised his eyes again until he met Miss Asuka’s gaze. “My name… is Tenjouin Fubuki.” 

Before Rei had the chance to be surprised, he activated his Duel Disk, flapped a card on the blade and a pair of dark wings spread from underneath him, followed by a long, pitch-black neck. 

Elegantly _Red-Eyes Black Dragon_ rose into the air, passed over the heads of the dumbfounded honour students and floated towards the cliffs. None of them had the presence of mind to pursue him. 

“I don’t understand”, Rei muttered and turned towards Miss Asuka. “Tenjouin… That’s your name, isn’t it?” 

The woman didn’t answer. Her face was a mask of dismay and she stared numbly at the spot where the man had stood just seconds ago. The man who had called himself Tenjouin Fubuki. 


	5. Unsettled

_Interlude: A Memory_

  


_The air smelled salty, of seaweed and a hint of clams, and simply breathing in made her smile. The small cloud which had been in front of the sun moved away and suddenly the brushy cliffs, the beach at their foot and the vast ocean beyond it were bathed in warm light. Asuka felt it on her skin and she gave out a delighted sigh._

 _The girl behind her giggled quietly. “You’re in a good mood today, Asuka. What’s up? You met a nice boy?”_

 _“Uh-uh”, Asuka replied and shook her head, disrupting her friend’s attempt to braid her hair for a moment. “No, that’s not it.” She gazed over to the small island which was barely visible at the horizon._

 _“Ah”, Junko muttered knowingly. “Then it’s about Academia. You’ll be going there next month, aren’t you?”_

 _She nodded. “Yes. Mom and Dad said I’ll take the next ship.”_

 _Right, she thought with a happy smile. She was finally old enough to attend Academia, the most sought-after Duel School in the world, which had brought forth legends like the current world champion Marufuji Ryou. Finally she’d see those halls with her own eyes._

 _“Hey, Asuka, don’t fidget around like that, or else your hair’s gonna be a mess.”_

 _“Oh, sorry”, she said and forced herself to keep still while Junko finished the braid she had been working on._

 _“Alright. I’m done”, the girl said after a while and reached for one of the white blossoms which had fallen from the tree they were sitting under. With a teasing smile she tucked it into Asuka’s hair._

 _Fleet-footedly Asuka hopped to her feet. “How do I look?” she asked, making a playful turn on the spot._

 _“Like one of those flower fairies”, Junko replied jokingly. After a moment her gaze softened a little. “I guess you’re glad to follow Fubuki to Academia, aren’t you?”_

 _Asuka took a long breath and again a smile grew over her lips. “Who’s Fubuki?” she asked, relishing in the smell of the fresh sea air._

 _Junko gave her a surprised look. Then she cracked a broad smile. “Nice joke. But honestly, tell your brother I’d like to see him again. After all he promised to marry me someday.”_

 _“My brother?” Asuka asked with a spark of amusement. “What are you talking about? I’m an only child, silly.”_

  


* * *

  


This time it was Hitomi who found her. She was still tired as hell, but she was too churned up inside to find any sleep now. The file Misawa had handed her lay open on the desk, the letters barely readable in the faint moonlight which fell in through the window. 

“Why do we always shroud ourselves in darkness when we meet?” Hitomi asked quietly as she stepped to her and sat down, leaning her back against the desk, just like Asuka had. 

“Why…” Asuka echoed distantly. “It is because it makes the shadows within us seem less terrifying. Right?” 

Hitomi lowered her head. For a while none of them said a word and they quietly gazed into the night. It had always fascinated Asuka how clear the sky was out here. There were no artificial lights that disturbed the sky, only the deep blackness of the ocean. The stars looked truly beautiful here, pure and bright, shimmering diamonds which were untaintable by human malice. Back at home they had looked very dull compared to this, as if the mighty sky itself had lost some of its lustre. 

“Say… do you remember how you came to Academia?” she asked weakly. 

Hitomi gave her a pensive look before she glanced outside again. “My parents sent me here when I was old enough. Just like it was with all the other kids.” 

Asuka nodded. Just like it was with all the other kids. Most of her former friends, her classmates, and several other kids of the same age… all of them had been sent to Academia. All of them had been put so willingly into this mill which had swallowed them up and spat them out as the next generation of ruthless battle machines with the purpose to conquer and destroy everyone who dared to resist. Every exception had been regarded as an error and was corrected. And those who couldn’t be corrected had been turned into cards to feed the great machinery of the Professor. That was what had happened to Hitomi and, although much later, to her as well. And yet, both of them were still here, at this place which had taken their future. 

It was quite ironic, now that she thought about it. She had made the decision to protect it. This place that had polluted her and so many more. She had decided to bring forth a different future for those who would come after her. Hitomi though… 

“Your parents… Why don’t you go back to them?” She turned her head and gave her friend a wan glance. “You don’t want to stay here, do you? Academia isn’t a place you can call home anymore.” 

Hitomi shook her head. “You’re right”, she muttered. “But… I can’t go home either. I don’t think they would understand the change I’ve gone through. Although they wouldn’t say it aloud, I’m sure they still believe in the Professor’s ideals.” 

She ducked her head and Asuka was surprised to find a melancholy smile on her lips. 

“You know, Asuka… Academia isn’t just a place. It is also something which exists in our minds. In the minds of us, the students, in the minds of our parents and all the people who followed the Professor, and even in the minds of those we hurt. The people from Standard, Synchro or Xyz. Academia continues to exist in all of their minds. There is no place I could go where it isn’t there already.” 

Asuka sent her a sympathetic look. Hearing Hitomi’s beautiful voice so sad sent a stab of pain through her heart. “But… they are your parents, right? Don’t you think they would understand if you told them?” 

After a moment Hitomi shifted and wrapped her arms around her legs. A single tear escaped her eyes and ran over her cheek. 

“Yes. I’m sure they would”, she whispered. “Actually that’s what I’m afraid of. That they would start liking me again.” She fell silent and for a moment her lips seemed to tremble. “The way I am now… No. I can’t do that to them. I can’t let them take care of a lonely, broken girl like me. That’s a burden I don’t want to put on them.” 

“You love them”, Asuka muttered quietly. 

Hitomi nodded. Then she cracked a smile and raised her arm, wiping across her eyes. “I’m… I’m sorry. I didn’t come here to start crying. But why… do you ask me these questions?” 

Asuka breathed in a deep breath, held it for several seconds as she raised her gaze to the upper end of the window and calmly let it out again. 

“I… I can’t remember what happened before I enrolled here.” She blinked, slowly, as she gazed at the twinkling stars outside and recalled what blurry haze of a memory was left inside her mind. “I think I was very excited when I boarded the ship. I remember my parents being there to send me off. But somehow… I’m not able to think of much that happened before that day. There’s just… faint fractions… the faces of my parents smiling at me, my room back at home… the feeling of running through a field of flowers…” 

Hitomi tilted her head. Slowly she reached out and placed her hand on top of Asuka’s. “That sounds like a pretty nice childhood, Asuka.” 

After a moment Asuka shook her head. “I don’t know. There’s so much I don’t remember. Especially… about my brother.” 

Suddenly Hitomi’s fingers froze and Asuka didn’t need to look at her to see the surprise in her eyes. “Asuka, you… you have a brother?” 

Asuka ducked her head and considered their entwined hands. It had become such a natural gesture between them. A gesture of affection that felt… familiar. 

“No”, she whispered. “At least that’s what I thought until today.” 

She gave Hitomi’s hand a light squeeze, as if it was an anchor she could hold onto against the confusing current inside her head. 

“Say, is this possible? Is it possible to forget about your own brother? To forget about his face, his voice, the time you’ve spent with him? To forget even about the fact of his very existence?” 

Asuka noticed her voice had grown loud and shrill and she nearly fell over, her shoulders shaking with grief and frustration about this goddamn confusing situation. When she felt the tender touch of a hand on her back, she started and gave Hitomi a horrified look before she cast down her eyes and allowed her to wrap her arms around her, pulling her into a soft, comforting hug. Tentative warmth began to spread throughout her as she leaned against her friend. She felt so unbelievably grateful. Hitomi had done… everything for her. She had sacrificed her life, her freedom for her. And even now, when she was struggling with the fear that lingered inside of her, she was still here to hold and comfort her. She wished… She wished this moment would go on forever. 

“Thank you, Hitomi.” 

“You’ve done the same for me. Right?” 

“Right.” 

  


* * *

  


Rei gritted her teeth as she reached up and dug her fingers into the rock. Today it was even harder to focus than last time and she had nearly slipped off a few times already. She couldn’t be proud of her success too like she usually was. 

The man with the black mask… Two days had passed since had vanished. Everyone was still alert and the honour students were patrolling the campus around the clock, but since it was impossible to keep a few hundred students locked up in their dorms, the regular lessons had been resumed. Surprisingly there had been no further attacks, though Rei thought it was too early to rejoice. She had seen what he was capable of and he was on a whole different level than any of the students she had watched before. And… that included herself. 

That man… his dragon… it had all felt so familiar, but whenever she tried to remember, her mind felt as though there was a thick fog inside it and it was impossible to make out anything but vague forms or shadows. All she got from it was a headache and that was more than a little distracting right now. 

With a sigh she slipped her boot into a small crack and pushed herself higher, reaching for the next purchase. She was almost at the top already. 

“Need a hand?” 

She stopped and looked up and after a moment her surprise was superseded by irritation. 

“I don’t need any help”, she growled and climbed on, ignoring the offered hand. 

“If you say so”, Shiunin replied with a smirk and watched her pulling herself over the edge. 

Exhausted, she slumped down next to him and let her gaze wander across the sea. There was a quiet, crackling sound when Shiunin reached into his pocket and took out a fresh package of chocolate sticks. 

“Want one?” he asked and offered her the package. 

She considered it for a moment before she took one and carefully bit into it. It broke with a crispy sound and the sweet, creamy flavour of chocolate filled her mouth, though there was also something hard, biscuit-like beneath it. It was a sweet she might start enjoying too. 

“Why did you come here, Shiunin?” she asked, taking another bite. 

“Oh, you can call me Sora if you like.” 

“Well, Sora… why did you come here? Shouldn’t you stay at the infirmary?” 

He glanced down at the sling he was wearing on his right arm and began to chuckle lightly. “Oh, my injuries aren’t that bad. Only the broken arm is a little irritating. Guess I won’t be able to challenge Asuka’s brother again.” 

Rei ducked her head. “So… he really is Miss Asuka’s brother?” 

“Appears so”, Shi – Sora – replied casually. 

She considered him for a while. Right now he seemed back like his old, carefree self again. His face looked… innocent, without a hint of the malice it had displayed during the duel. It was easy to believe that this was his true self, but then again, thinking like that was dangerous. This boy beside her was as much of a monster as that man, Miss Asuka’s brother, was. 

“What you’ve been doing there”, he began and leaned forward and for a moment Rei was afraid he was going to fall over, but then he stopped and merely looked down at the scarp. “It looks like fun.” 

Her initial worry turned into disbelief and she couldn’t help but stare at him for a few seconds. He looked like he really meant it. 

“Are you stupid? This isn’t fun. It’s training.” 

Sora leaned back and gave her a wide grin. “Sure. But why can’t training be fun as well?” 

When he saw her confused stare, he tilted back his head and burst into ringing laughter. 

“Hey, this… this isn’t funny”, she muttered sulkily. “Besides, I’m not doing this to have fun. I want to become stronger.” 

“So… you think you are stronger if you don’t have fun during your training?” 

“Huh? Yes, of course. How is one supposed to become stronger if they don’t focus earnestly on their training? I’m here at Academia to prepare myself for my future. I don’t have any time to waste on something as pointless as having fun.” 

“You’re wrong”, Sora replied in a surprisingly hard, serious voice. “The time you are wasting here with training will be gone for good.” 

Rei gave him a blank look. 

Sora sighed and took out another chocolate stick, holding it upright over the edge of the cliff. 

“Let me tell you something. You ought to take life a little easier. If you forget to have fun…” He tensed his fingers until the stick broke and the lower half fell down the cliff, landing somewhere in the water below. “…then you might one day wake up and realise your childhood days are over before you’ve started to enjoy them. Believe me. I have learned this lesson far too late.” 

Rei frowned. What he said… didn’t make any sense. 

“What are you talking about?” she asked perplexed. “You aren’t much older than I am.” 

Sora cracked a smile. “True. I guess I have to be careful when talking to you. But…” Suddenly he grew very serious again. “Living without fun is as good as not living at all. A very good friend of mine has taught me that. At least he was talking about having fun and making people smile all the time.” 

“Really? Sounds like an idiot.” 

Again a smile tugged at his lips. “Yes, he is. But… he is an idiot I admire. I guess I… just wanted to pay him back a little.” 

Rei lowered her gaze. Having fun… That was a complete contrast to everything she had been taught before. Instructor Sanders would’ve merely sneered at the idea of bringing unnecessary emotions like that onto the battlefield. And the Professor… Rei wouldn’t even have dared to utter the very word in his presence. Miss Asuka had tried to teach them how to duel for fun, but… it still felt so… so weird. 

“I… I’m not sure if I can”, she muttered quietly. “Or rather… if I am able to.” 

Sora gave her an inquiring glance. 

She sighed and tilted back her head, gazing at the grey clouds which drifted in the blue sea above. “Duelling… has always embodied something deeply serious to me. It was a means to show my strength… and to become stronger. I don’t know if I can simply… turn the switch and start having fun instead. At least I don’t know how.” 

“Hmm… I see. Then how about we have a duel? Maybe I could show you how to have a little fun. And who knows? Maybe you’re going to get stronger by doing so. I know saying this makes me sound a little arrogant, but I’m quite good.” 

“Yes, I know”, Rei replied. 

Sora smiled proudly and after a moment it widened into a buoyant grin. “Alright. But first my arm needs to heal, so it may take a while.” 

She nodded. Duelling Sora… It sounded tempting. He was a lot stronger than she was and it would be an excellent chance to improve her abilities. And yet… She well remembered the look on his face, the wild, unbound ferocity in his eyes. There could hardly be a stronger contrast to the idea of having fun. 

“Umm… Shi… Sora”, she began, uncertain how to approach such a delicate topic. “You… I mean your duelling… or rather, the way you looked…” 

“Oh, that…” He cracked another smile, though this time it didn’t look very happy. “I have a really intense personality. When I meet a duellist who is worthy to go all out against, it’s hard for me to hold back and I tend to get a little over the top.” 

He lowered his head and a spark of wistfulness appeared in his clear green eyes. “There was a time when I thought I had no other goal but to destroy other duellists in order to prove that I’m stronger. Back then I found pleasure in hurting them.” After a moment he shook his head. “No. In fact, I still do. I’m not glad about this side of me and I try to keep it down as much as I can, but… I doubt it’s going to disappear some day.” 

“Oh.” Rei cast down her eyes. For some reason she felt very stupid all of a sudden. It hadn’t even occurred to her that others might have shadows to struggle with as well. Something that chained them down deep inside the abyss of self-blame and remorse. 

“I’ll look forward to it then”, she said and ate up the rest of her chocolate stick. 

  


* * *

  


That night Rei’s dreams seemed to have turned into a series of nightmares. Over and over again she saw Martin’s face in front of her. Over and over again she made all kinds of mistakes, each and every one resulting in his death. Over and over again she ended up staring at his lifeless face, a thin streak of blood escaping the corner of his mouth. When at last she reached out to him, he opened his eyes and suddenly it wasn’t Martin who stared at her but Shiunin, his clothing torn and heavily bleeding from several wounds. 

With a gasp she started up from the sheets, her breath going fast and heavy, and she needed a long while to stop herself from shaking. Carefully she glanced over at her roommate, but the girl seemed to be still sound asleep. 

Relieved, Rei swung her legs off the bed and rested her head against the wall, taking a few deep breaths. She really felt like crap. No, not like crap. She felt like the angel of doom she was. First Martin and now Shiunin. How many more needed to get hurt because of her selfishness? How many more were going to suffer because of her? 

With a sigh she wiped over her forehead and noticed it was covered with cold sweat. Great. Well, right now she wouldn’t be able to get back to sleep, so she got up, quietly so she didn’t wake the girl sleeping on the other side of the room, and plodded over to the common bathroom. It felt great to feel the cold water run through her hair and over her face, washing away the sweat and allaying the lingering imprint of the nightmares. So great she wasn’t even aware how many minutes passed until she finally turned off the water. She slowly dried off her hair before she went back to her room, hesitated a moment in front of the door, and turned away, walking towards the end of the corridor which led to the small kitchen. Maybe a hot chocolate was going to make her feel a little better. 

However, when she opened the door to the dormitory, she stumbled back when she noticed the woman standing in front of it. 

“Miss… Miss Asuka?!” 

“Oh… Rei…” The woman looked just as startled as she was. 

“What are you doing here?” Rei asked puzzled. It wasn’t natural for the head of the school and a former Obelisk Blue student to be at the Osiris Red dorm in the middle of the night, was it? 

Miss Asuka averted her eyes and Rei thought she looked a little awkward, an expression she hadn’t expected to see on her face. 

“Oh, I… just came here to visit someone, but… when I got here, I thought I’d rather not wake her.” 

“I see.” 

Miss Asuka glanced back at her and cracked a wry smile. “Probably it’s better this way. I’m sure she’d get furious to find me here at this time of the night.” Then she tilted her head. “And what about you? Couldn’t you find any sleep?” 

Rei shook her head. “Not the restful kind at least.” 

Miss Asuka nodded thoughtfully. “Well… Would you like to have a little walk with me?” She smiled again when she saw Rei’s face, kinder this time. “I’m not asking this as your teacher, but as a simple woman.” 

Rei considered her for a few seconds. Then she gave her a tentative nod. It was strange, but, for some reason she had never taken much notice of Miss Asuka as a person. She was her teacher, sure, and she was the one who had to scold Rei whenever she sneaked off to places which were off limits for students, but Rei had never even thought about how things must be for her. 

After the disappearance of the gargantuan dragon as well as Professor Akaba and several members of his staff, she had basically taken over the crumbling remains of Academia and kept together the two rivalling factions which had threatened to destroy all that was left of it, on the one hand those who viewed the battle on the island as a foreign attack and wished to retaliate, on the other hand those who opposed that idea and sought negotiation with the other worlds in order to prevent the forced dispersion of Academia. 

Miss Asuka as the symbol of those who had defied the Professor had managed to silence the radicals by revealing the truth about what had happened in Heartland and with the help of Commander Phoenix she had initiated a reparation program. Most of the younger students who hadn’t known about the details of the invasion had decided to abolish the militaristic doctrine of the Professor and at last the radical followers of the Professor had accepted their defeat. Most of them had been Obelisk Blues, students who had already attained the rank of a soldier, participated in the invasion and even were proud of what they had done. Of course they hadn’t agreed to Miss Asuka’s new policy and had left Academia on their own. Only a few had remained here, probably trying to stay loyal to Academia, even if it wasn’t the same place as before. 

Rei was located somewhere between those beliefs. She didn’t want to fight and conquer anymore, but she wasn’t willing to discard everything she had learned and trained for either. Probably there were many who thought like that, who didn’t know what they were supposed to do in a world which had lost its rigid limitations so suddenly. 

Miss Asuka had been a big inspiration to her. Even though she was incredibly strong and talented and had become one of the Professor’s selected honour students, she had escaped the island and become the most wanted rogue student in the history of Academia. She was living proof that being skilled at duelling didn’t mean the battlefield was the only goal one should aim for. Although they didn’t entirely agree with the way of duelling she tried to teach them, most of Rei’s classmates still admired Miss Asuka. Well, probably her awesome looks did their part on that. Now though, as she was walking alongside Rei, she didn’t look at all like the infallible strong woman she was known as. Now she looked pensive and insecure and… human. 

“What… What is it that’s troubling you, Miss Asuka?” Rei asked, uncomfortable to break the silence between them. 

“Troubling me?” the woman echoed quietly and a wan smile curved her lips. “You’re right. I am… troubled.” 

They reached the courtyard and moved to one of the arcades enclosing it. The outside air was cold and the hairs on Rei’s arms began to stand up. At the same time the smell of salt and seawater entered her nostrils. It was no unpleasant feeling, perfectly fit to calm down from unpleasant dreams. 

“That man who claimed to be my brother is troubling me”, Miss Asuka said after a while. 

Rei cast down her eyes. “I… I’ve never heard before that you have a brother.” 

“No”, Miss Asuka agreed. “Neither did I.” She fell quiet and clutched her upper arm, her fingers digging hardly into the fabric of her sleeve. “Part of me still refuses to believe what he said. Logically speaking, he could be practically anyone. But… if he only wants to deceive us, then why didn’t he come up with a more believable story?” She bit the bottom of her lip and for a moment a pained expression flashed over her face. “And what I don’t understand as well… is why such a completely absurd story unsettles me this much.” 

Rei considered her, bewildered. She had never seen someone this churned up before, and it embarrassed her to see such a positive, diligent teacher like Miss Asuka in such a state. 

“I don’t think he was lying”, Rei said awkwardly. 

Miss Asuka’s head flicked up and she gave her a surprised stare. “What… What do you mean by that?” 

An uncomfortable feeling spread through Rei’s chest as she thought back to her encounter with that man and to the way he had looked at Sora after he had taken off his mask. 

“It was real”, she said. “The hatred in his eyes. And also the shock when he heard your name. I am sure both of them were real. That’s why I don’t think he was lying.” 

Miss Asuka continued to stare at her for a second before she turned her gaze forward again. “I see. But then… why don’t I remember him? Is that possible, to completely forget about someone as important as a sibling?” 

Rei ducked her head. “I… I am not sure. But… I think I feel the same. I am sure I have seen your brother and his dragon before, but… for some reason I can’t remember when or where. It is as though someone has drilled a hole into my memory.” 

Suddenly Miss Asuka froze on the spot, making Rei stop a moment later. She was surprised by the thunderstruck expression on her face. 

“Drilled a hole into my memory”, she echoed faintly. 

“Umm… Miss Asuka?” Rei asked in bewilderment. 

The woman blinked and after a moment she seemed to remember about her presence. “Thank you, Rei”, she said and a grim look crept over her face. “You have given me an idea. I’m afraid we have to resume this walk another day.” 

“Oh. Umm… sure”, Rei replied and looked after Miss Asuka’s figure which approached the gate at the other end of the courtyard. Just what kind of an idea could she have gotten? Could it be that…? 

With a shiver she grew aware of how cold it was and that her hair was still a little soaked. She was going to catch a cold if she stayed out here for much longer, so she decided to turn around and hurried back to the dorm. When she thought of going back to sleep, a faint sensation of dread welled up inside her, reminding her of the nightmares she had had, but she quickly shook her head and pushed the feeling aside. 

She was old enough to handle some nightmares. Otherwise Academia wouldn’t have been the right place for her. That man though… She didn’t know who he was, but there was one thing that was for sure. She needed to find him before anybody else did. 

  


* * *

  


Asuka’s fingers drummed impatiently against her arm. She gave the heavy steel doors behind her an angry glare, as if that would make them move faster. Then, with a loud clap, the two wings crashed together and Asuka had to think of a coffin whose lid was being closed before it was buried deep beneath the earth. Probably that was exactly the impression the Professor had had in mind when he had constructed this place. 

She took a deep breath and tried to shake off the feeling as she stepped to the third and last layer of armoured doors. After it had scanned her eyes, the small display in front of her flashed up and she inserted the code and a moment later the old motors came back to life, slowly opening the heavy wings. 

With a pounding heart Asuka stepped on the other side. Her ears barely took notice of the loud hum as the doors behind her began to close. All her attention was drawn to the small door at the end of the corridor. In contrast to the three high security doors she had just passed, this door was made of wood and had a simple lock. The Professor sure had had a weird liking for the combination of most modern technologies with completely old-fashioned architecture. Why else did the island look like a medieval castle? 

Despite its plainness, that small door emitted such a strong feeling of unease she involuntarily shuddered before she willed her legs to step forward. With shaking fingers she reached into her pocket, took out the large iron key and pushed it into the lock. She hesitated for a moment. Then she turned it around and opened the door. 

The room on the other side was dark and only a faint streak of light fell down from somewhere above. Asuka’s eyes needed a moment to adjust to the dim light before she was able to make out the haggard figure in the shadows across the door. 

“Ah, my dear Asuka”, a high, oily voice greeted her after a moment. “What an honour to receive your visit. I’m afraid my current position doesn’t allow me to be a good host though.” 

The white-haired man with the sunken eyes casually moved his hand and grinned at the clank of the fetters which bound him to the wall. 

Asuka involuntarily tensed up as she met his gaze. He didn’t show the slightest hint of discomfort, as if he wasn’t even aware of what this place was. A prison, designed to restrain the fragments of Zarc, the demon who had threatened to destroy the four worlds. In the end Yuri had been the only one the Professor had managed to get his hands on and he had been too valuable as the Professor’s personal executor to have him locked down here and so this place had never been used, a fact Asuka hadn’t meant to change when she had taken over Academia. 

However, three months ago when she had been faced with the first and only prisoner she had taken, she had been glad to have a place like this. A place able to hold someone who must never see the light of the sun again. 

“And?” he asked, resting back his head. “May I ask for the reason of your visit?” 

Asuka closed her eyes and took a long breath as she silenced her thoughts revolving around this place or the man in front of her, until only one was left. 

“Doktor”, she said and opened her eyes again. “Your field of research was neurobiology and the manipulation of the human brain, wasn’t it?” 

The man raised his brow in surprise. “Oh. So it is my expertise you want? How unexpected. But you are completely right.” He cracked a dreamy smile. “The brain… it is the final riddle of human existence, an enigma which science has failed to understand for thousands of years. Some even say it is the throne of the human soul.” 

“A simple yes would’ve been enough”, she interrupted him. She had been forced to read more than enough about his research and the sick experiments he had conducted with humans, leading to the eventual creation of his parasite monsters which were able to brainwash a human by crawling into their brain, completely suppressing their own will. It was something Asuka had experienced first-hand when the Doktor had used Sora to lure her into a trap and turned her into one of his mindless puppets. Merely thinking back to it made her stomach turn. 

“You were also the one who developed the memory alteration technology”, she continued. “To what degree does that technology work?” 

The Doktor gave her a bright smile. “Oh, my dear child, you can’t imagine how happy I am about your sudden interest. Do you plan on carrying on my research?” 

“Just answer my question”, she ordered coldly, disgust ringing in her voice. 

“Yes, of course. Forgive me.” He tiled his head and his sick face spotted a joyful expression. “Let’s see. Replicating a specific memory pattern has proven extremely difficult. Most of the test subjects were able to distinguish between artificial memories and real ones. It would be possible to implant very small things, loose images, a few words maybe or a specific sound. But turning people into willing soldiers by altering their memories is something we were never able to achieve.” 

“I see”, Asuka muttered calmly, trying not to show any of the relief she felt. “And how about erasing a person’s memories?” 

“Oh, there is no problem about that”, the Doktor replied merrily. “You can erase nearly everything about a person’s life. From certain events to longer periods of time everything’s possible. However, it has turned out people who have lost too many of their memories tend to be absentminded most of the time, as though part of their spirit has disappeared as well.” 

Dismay washed through Asuka’s mind and she suddenly felt like the temperature in the room had dropped. She couldn’t help but stare at this man in front of her who talked about erasing people’s memories and will, the very basement of their identity, so casually as if it was a topic to discuss during tea. That was exactly the reason this man terrified her more than anyone else. More than the Professor. Even more than Yuri who had turned her into a card. It was this combination of inhuman malice and twisted zest about his research as well as his complete disregard of other people’s feelings, interests or opinions which made him so dangerous she had decided to isolate him here where nobody apart from the two guards who brought him food twice the day would get in touch with him. There were just another handful of people beside her who even knew he was here. 

“Is it possible to revert that process?” 

The Doktor gave her a surprised glance. Then he laughed. It was not a friendly, or merry laugh, but one which expressed both sick amusement and insanity. 

“Now what reason would I have to do that?” he asked and gasped for breath before he began to chuckle again. “My dear child, I am afraid if that is what you came for, I don’t have an answer for you. You’ll need to find out for yourself if there is a way. Or you let me out of here and allow me to resume my experiments with-”

“Are you trying to make fun of me?!” Asuka shouted, her hands curling into fists, ready to punch that man’s face should he dare to say one more word. “Do you have any idea… how many humans have suffered because of your experiments?” 

He grinned and this time there was no innocent fascination about science in it. “Yes”, he replied quietly. “But tell me, do you have an idea?” 

Asuka made a grimace, but she refused to give him an answer. Once again she had the feeling she had just begun to understand the whole extent of his cruelty. 

“Saotome Rei”, she said and fought down the anger inside of her. “Did her memories get altered?” 

The Doktor leaned back his head and gave her a tired glance. “My dear Asuka. There were countless students who needed to be corrected. I cannot possibly recall all of them.” 

Despite her efforts she couldn’t conceal a new stab of anger which flashed through her heart at the word ‘corrected’. He really did view other humans as nothing more than machines which had to run the way he wanted them to and which needed to be simply corrected if they didn’t. For someone with that kind of attitude this underground prison might still be too good. 

“I see. Then I have one more question. What do you know about Tenjouin Fubuki?” 

For the blink of an eye surprise crept over the Doktor’s face before he managed to conceal it behind a wide smirk. 

“I’ve never heard that name before.” 

Asuka sighed. “I have already read the file about him. He was a student who had just enrolled at Academia. Before he had finished his first year, he ran away, was recaptured and passed to you for the purpose of _reeducation_. After that every record about his very existence has vanished without a trace.” 

The Doktor continued to smile, as though his face had suddenly turned to stone. “I don’t remember.” 

“You’re lying.” 

The Doktor didn’t answer. After a few seconds Asuka straightened up. If he didn’t want to talk, okay. But if he thought she was going to let him out of here just to make him talk, she was going to show him how wrong he was.

“Alright”, she said and turned around. “If your memories return, you can tell O’Brien. Then I’ll come and pay you another visit.” 

“Asuka”, he called her back and she stopped. 

“If I may give you some advice”, he began in a low, smooth voice. “Parasites aren’t the only way to manipulate a person’s mind. You would do well to remember that.” 

“I’ll keep it in mind”, she replied before she stepped over the threshold and closed the door to his lone isolation cell. It felt good to leave that fulsome man, but she wasn’t able to rejoice until she had passed the three massive steel doors and the lift which carried her up from the bottom of the deep shaft. Even then the Doktor’s presence didn’t let go of her entirely. He was like a disease, infecting everyone who came in contact with him. 

_You can erase nearly everything about a person’s life. From certain events to longer periods of time everything’s possible._

At least that explained what had happened to her and Rei. And also, it meant what that man, Fubuki had said had been true. He was her brother. Someone… Someone had erased all memories of him from her mind and probably from their parents’ minds, from all who had known him as well. They had erased all traces of his existence. The only remaining questions were: Who? And why? And what was the reason behind all of this? 

  


* * *

  


_Interlude: Hell_

  


_I hardly looked up when the door to my cell opened. Obediently I got to my feet, like always, and got moving as two strong arms pulled me out. They brought me to the room near the end of the section, the one where I was supposed to wait for the beginning of the next experiment, and left me alone._

 _Despondently I sat down and cowered against the cold wall. When I had been new to this, I had tried to tell myself all of this was nothing but a bad dream, a nightmare which would sooner or later end with me waking up in my bed, gasping for breath, my body soaked with cold sweat. But I had soon come to abandon that hope. No nightmare could ever compare to the terror which waited here, no monster could ever match up to the human devil who was taking care of me. Me and the other faceless voices which resided in the other cells, wailing, whispering, crying, or simply emitting a silence which harboured the full weight of their despair._

 _After what felt like forever the door opened once more, but instead of the Doktor’s gaunt, excited face someone new appeared in the frame, a boy one or two years younger than me._

 _“Get your ass in there”, a harsh voice growled and then the boy was pushed inside, hardly falling on his face, before the door was shut._

 _Giving out a quiet sniff, the boy got to his knees and felt for something on the ground. After a moment he found it and the round lenses of a pair of glasses flashed up in the dim light which filled the room. When he noticed me, the boy started and backed away until he hit the wall behind him. Then we both stared at each other._

 _“Oh… Umm… Who… Who are you? And what is this place?”_

 _Although the boy’s voice was shaking with fear and nervousness, his words showed he was clueless about what was going to happen to him. He was new. This was probably the first experiment he’d take part in. What a poor boy._

 _“Umm… My name is Marufuji Sho”, the he said, awkwardly waiting for an answer. “Err… You don’t like to talk much, huh?”_

 _Slowly I straightened up, casting the boy a long glance. “Marufuji Sho… If you’ve ever imagined what hell is like, then you have reached that place now.”_

 _Again the boy stared at him, this time with wide, shocked eyes._

 _“H-Hell? What are you talking about? They… They sent me here because my scores were too low. I’m too nice. That’s why… they are going to help me become bolder. Th-That’s what they said.”_

 _The boy’s voice cracked a little and there was a desperate smile on his face. It was his attempt to cling to the nice story they had told him, although he already knew it was just a lie._

 _“Become bolder, you say?” I repeated hoarsely. “Yes. One way or another you are going to become bolder.”_

 _The boy met my gaze and despite the tears that were running over his face he was still smiling, though it was a stiff, helpless smile. “What… What are you saying? What’s going to happen to us?”_

 _So helpless… The boy looked so frightened, so small and anxious I couldn’t help but feel sorry for him. I wanted to say something to him, a small lie to calm him down, to take the fright from those eyes, even if it was just for a moment. Anything…_

 _Then I ducked my head. It was no good. Lying to this boy now would make everything worse in the end._

 _“They’re going to mess with our heads”, I muttered. “Don’t know what it’s going to be this time, but… your thoughts, your memories, your feelings… you shouldn’t expect them to be the same as before.”_

 _Slowly the boy cowered together and for a moment he looked like he was going to start rocking back and forth._

 _“Does it hurt?” he asked, his voice just a faint whisper._

 _“Probably.”_

 _Another moment of silence._

 _“No… I don’t want to be here. Big brother… Mom… Dad… Help me! Please! I want to go home! I don’t want to be here!!”_

 _With a sudden creak the door opened and a lean man in a dark grey coat stepped inside. At once the boy fell quiet, a touch of faint hope flashing over his horrified face._

 _“Too late”, I whispered wryly. “As I said, this place is hell.”_


	6. Kids

_“Mhh… brother?” Asuka whispered faintly. Only her round face peeped out from beneath the covers and she looked at him with half-lidded eyes._

_“How are you?” he asked and brushed his fingers over her cheek. It was glowing with heat._

_“I’m feeling weak, brother. So terribly weak. Do I have to die now?”_

_He gave her an encouraging smile. “No, Asuka. You’re just having a little fever. In a few days you’ll be up and about again. You’ll see. But for now sleep a little.”_

_She considered him for a few seconds, not entirely convinced, before she nodded. Then she shifted beneath the blanket and her tiny fingers touched the back of his hand._

_“Are you going to stay here with me?” she asked timidly._

_His smile grew brighter and he took her hand in his. “Of course, Asuka. I’ll always be with you.”_

_Asuka closed her eyes. After a moment she snuggled against his hand and let out a cosy sigh. Gentle warmth spread throughout his heart as he considered her. The fever had drained most of her strength, but the doctor’s medicine was going to make her well again. There was nothing to worry about. They were always going to be together._

  


At least that was what he had believed back then. But when the Juvenile Officers had pulled him away from her, he had thought it would be the last time he’d see her. The malicious laughter and Asuka’s terrified screams had left only room for a single thought in his mind: Their farewell would be forever. 

When he had left the darkness of his prison and was finally able to breathe the fresh outdoor air and feel the warm rays of the sun on his skin again, he had known he needed to find her again. What he hadn’t expected was that that moment would come so soon. 

It was still hard to believe that this stunning young woman was the cute little Asuka from back then. And yet, he knew it was true. Of course he had always known his sister would be a real beauty when she was older, but it made him kind of sad to have missed so many important moments in her life. It should’ve been his job as a big brother to be there with her, take photos of all the embarrassing situations she’d get in or tease her about her first crush. There was no denying he had failed. Most of all he had failed to keep her away from Academia. She should’ve never set a foot on this terrible island. 

Unfortunately it was too late to make up for that. Asuka was part of them now. It had looked like she even was some kind of commander. What chance did he have, a phantom from the past she had barely recognised? 

No! He mustn’t think like that. She was his sister. He couldn’t abandon her. Maybe… maybe not everything was lost. Maybe there was a way to bring back the Asuka she had been as a kid. 

Okay. If he wanted to find it, he’d have to ask someone about her. Someone who knew her as well as he once had. 

_Please, Asuka, wait for me. I’ll save you from their clutches. No matter what it may take._

  


* * *

  


A quick, bleeping sound filled Asuka’s ears, steady and somewhat unnerving, but she forced herself to endure it. Slowly her mind grew used to it, so much that when it finally stopped, she was left confused for a second. Then the helmet-like device was lifted from her head. 

She gave Mrs Ayukawa a questioning glance, but the woman simply shook her head. 

“I see. So the process isn’t reversible?” 

“I am afraid not. If the damage would’ve occurred recently, I might be able to do something, but you’ve been living with it for half your life. 

Asuka lowered her gaze. “So that means my memories of that time are gone for good. I should’ve known. I had hoped there was a way to find out the truth behind all of this. How foolish of me.” She drew in a deep breath, held it for a moment before she let it out in a drawn out sigh. 

“No, that’s not how I would put it.” 

Asuka blinked in surprise. 

“Your memories haven’t been destroyed. They are still there. You just don’t have access to them.” Ayukawa thoughtfully clicked with her ballpoint and when she spoke on, her voice sounded hesitant, as though she didn’t want to give Asuka any false hope. 

“It may not be much, but, with the right impulse, your brain could restore the access and your memories could simply return from alone.” 

“With the right impulse… So you’re saying I should spend time with him? With a man I hardly know and who has attacked four of my students to the point of nearly killing them?” Her fingers twisted into the fabric of her skirt. “I… I don’t know if I’m able to do that.” 

“Yes, I thought so. I just said that would be a possibility. There’s no guarantee it would work anyway.” 

Asuka glanced down at her hands. There were so many questions rambling on inside of her. What was the reason? Why had the Professor or whoever was responsible for this removed her memories of her childhood? And even if they hadn’t implanted any false memories into her head, how much more of what happened in her life had been erased? Were there any friends or classmates she had forgotten about? And how many others had suffered the same? How many of the students of this school had been manipulated into following the Professor? How many had lost their memories of their friends or their family? 

Suddenly an idea struck her mind and she turned to Mrs Ayukawa again. “What about Rei? She said she’s suffering from memory loss as well. Can you help her?” 

The woman ducked her head and gazed at the floor, thoughtful. “I’d have to examine her first before I am able to say anything about that.” 

Asuka nodded. “I see. Then I’ll go and ask her to come here.” She got up from the cot and gave Mrs Ayukawa a grateful smile. “Thank you for your efforts. I know you have much to do with the victims already.” 

Mrs Ayukawa’s gaze turned distant for a second before she forced herself to return the smile. “Don’t worry. It is my job to do what I can for my patients. And that includes you as well, Asuka. Besides…” Suddenly her mood seemed to drop as she glanced at the door. “I just want to prevent getting any more patients to worry about.” 

Asuka nodded glumly and turned to leave. However, her feet stopped in surprise before she had taken more than a few steps into the corridor. 

“Sora? How… How is your arm?” 

At the sound of his name the short boy looked up and she noticed the stick of one of his ever-present lollipops sticking out of his mouth. 

“Oh, Asuka.” He glanced at the sling holding his bandaged right arm and a faint smile grew over his face. “It’s not as bad as it looks. It doesn’t even hurt as long as I don’t knock it against something. No, the reason I am here is…” His eyes flicked to the glass window behind which two of the attacked students were recovering from their injuries. Countless machines were monitoring their condition twenty-four-seven in case they grew worse again. 

Fubuki… She might have been more willing to believe his story if he hadn’t done this. If he hadn’t attacked and severely injured innocent students. 

“You’re worried about them?” she asked, giving her friend a soft glance. 

After a moment he gave out a snort. “Worried? Are you kidding me? No. It’s just that, since I’m unable to chase after your brother right now, I thought I should focus back on my other duties, including the exam. But in their current condition they’ll be unable to take part.” 

Asuka turned back to the glass and listened to the steady whining of the heart rate monitors on the other side. “No. They won’t be able to duel until they have completely recovered.” 

Sora raised a brow. “And here I thought you were going to stop me from doing it so soon. Looks like I underestimated you.” 

For once his teasing remarks weren’t able to cheer her up. There were simply too many things going on in her head right now. 

“Run the exam on schedule. I’m going to take care of the issue with Fubuki. No matter if he is my brother or not, I _will_ stop him.” 

“Roger, _Miss Tenjouin_.” 

She made a grimace. “I told you not to address me so formally, didn’t I?” 

Sora gave out a brief laugh. “Who of us is being formal all the time?” he asked with a smirk. 

A tentative smile tugged at her lips. It was weird, but… somehow talking to the short boy tended to make her feel a little better. He was a valuable advisor and an even better friend. And yet… 

“Hey, Sora”, she began quietly. When she met his innocent, questioning glance however, she hesitated. Maybe… it was better not to bother him with that. “Nothing. Forget it.” 

Sora gazed at her for a few seconds. Then he let out a deep sigh. “Asuka. You should know that when you say ‘forget it’, that makes me all the more curious.” 

This time she really smiled. “Oh yes. I know.” Then she raised her head until she met the reflexion of her brown eyes in the glass. Eyes which felt like those of a stranger lately. As if there was someone else staring back at her from the other side. “I… I wanted to ask whether you have noticed holes in your memory.” 

“Holes?” he asked and raised a brow. 

“Yes. Gaps. Things you should remember, but for some reason you can’t.” 

Sora made a thoughtful face. “Hmm… No. I don’t think so. At least I didn’t notice anything. Is this… about your brother?” 

Asuka hesitated for a moment before she gave him a brief nod. “Rei has told me she has the same feeling. I’ve asked the Doktor whether our memories have been manipulated, but he refused to tell me anything helpful.” She lowered her gaze. “I am sure of it though. Someone has erased the memories of my childhood on purpose.” 

For a while none of them said a word. Only the bleeping of the monitors interrupted the silence. 

“The Doktor”, Sora muttered and Asuka thought she could hear an unusual hardness in his voice. 

“Ah, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have started on about this. If you aren’t affected, then everything’s okay.” 

“I suppose so.” Thoughtfully he gazed at the bandaged face of the boy behind the glass. After a moment his fingers curled into a fist and his lips narrowed to a thin line. 

A weak smile tugged at Asuka’s mouth. “You _do_ care about them.” 

“I already said I don’t”, he replied annoyed, flicking the lollipop from one corner of his mouth to the other. 

She knew this kind of reaction meant she had hit the hail on the head. He was a part of Academia, a part of her life, just like Mrs Ayukawa, Rei and all the other students. She had to make sure none of them would get hurt any further. That was her responsibility and her duty. 

Damn it. If only there was something she could do to stop this nightmare. If only she understood a little better what was going on. Then maybe… maybe she could make herself useful. 

  


* * *

  


The bright afternoon sun cast its light on the cliff and the reflexion on the water glistened so bright it looked as though the ocean itself was covered with shiny white snowflakes reaching up to the horizon. From time to time she thought she could see someone standing there, someone in a yellow jacket. But when he moved and turned his face towards her, the light grew so dazzling she had to avert her eyes and when she took another look, he was gone without a trace. 

For some reason he always appeared to her like that, blurry and distant, and yet crested by light. As if he wanted to show her that, wherever he was right now, he was happy. 

It… It was so fucking humiliating. Even now he seemed to belittle her. Even now he had to remind her of what had happened. 

“Rei? What are you waiting for?” a giggling voice asked. “Class is over, you know?” 

She looked up and was a little surprised the classroom was nearly empty already. She hadn’t even heard the ring of the school bell. 

“Thank you”, she said and began to pack up her stuff. 

“What’s wrong?” a girl asked as she passed her, ill-concealed mockery ringing in her voice. “Having lover’s grief?” 

“Huh? Come on. Our ice-cold Rei and being love-struck?” 

“Oh, right. How could I forget? Well then, see you.” 

Rei didn’t answer. She didn’t like her classmates very much. Especially since they all were playing friends with each other. Just one year ago they had done everything to sabotage each other in order to be promoted as quickly as possible. Stupid hypocrites. They hadn’t understood anything. 

Her Duel Disk began to vibrate and she quickly turned it off. Then she took her bag and left the classroom. 

It felt weird, to walk down the corridor now and pass students who were talking so casually with each other, giggling like childish kids, without a last bit of awareness of how they appeared to others, without a last bit of pride. All of them… All of them seemed to have forgotten about the strictness which had determined their life. They hardly paid attention in class, complained about how stupid the teachers were and how much work they had given them. 

She cast a glance down into the courtyard, at the group of boys who were playing some kind of badminton there, at the three girls who passed them, giving them surreptitious glances. A little away a boy and a girl were sitting on a bench, their mouths locked in a deep kiss. 

_Disgusting._

She felt more and more like an alien at a place which was nothing like it used to be anymore. It was hard to recognise the teachers standing in front of the classes. It was hard to recognise the students who walked by. Their once proud stride had turned into nothing but a languid walk. As if Academia had turned into some random, average school. 

If only things could be a little more like they had been. If only the other kids would take their life more serious. If only… if only she could be the way she used to. 

She sighed and took the next corner to the left, stopping in front of the electronics club room. Then she knocked. A boy opened, nervously glancing into the corridor, before he let her in. 

“Did you do what I asked of you?” 

“Yes, of course”, he replied quickly. “I prepared everything. Umm…” He cast her another glance. His nervousness was almost infectious. “I hope you know what you’re doing, Rei. If the others finds out I lent you this equipment, things will get ugly for me.” 

“Not as ugly as it has for those who met that guy.” She took one of the metallic cylinders and examined it for a moment. “Does it really work?” 

The question seemed to bring out at least some of the boy’s pride. “Of course it works”, he said offended. “I’ve tested everything three times.” 

“Good”, she replied, curling her fingers around the cylinder. It was small enough to fit in her hand. So small… and yet it was going to enable her to do something even the head of security hadn’t managed to do. With that… she could prove that she was better. Better than anyone else. 

  


* * *

  


“My… My memories have been erased?” 

Mrs Ayukawa nodded. “Yes, it looks like that. I don’t know how much of your memory is affected, but part of it seems to be blocked. There… is a procedure we could try to reactivate it. It’s experimental as of yet, so I don’t know what side effects it may have, but if it works, you could remember what you have lost. I’m not going to force you into anything though. I can understand if you don’t want.” 

Rei gulped and ducked her head. “Doctor… How did my memories get erased?” 

Mrs Ayukawa looked surprised for a moment. Then she cast down her eyes. “Well… It was probably us who did that. My predecessor was a specialist on the field of neurobiology. He has developed devices to analyse and manipulate brain waves and I know the Professor has used these devices to gather or conceal intelligence. It might be you learned something that was too important for him to let you know about it.” 

Rei nodded. “I see. Please let me think about this for a while.” 

Mrs Ayukawa gave her a smile. “Of course. Take your time to decide.” 

“Yes, I will.” Rei go up and bowed before she left Mrs Ayukawa’s office. 

Amnesia… huh? That would explain the holes in her memory and the familiar feeling she had about that man. Whatever it was that had been taken from her had to do with him. That was one more reason to face him. But to think it was possible to erase specific memories from a person’s mind… 

Again her Duel Disk began to bleep. When she looked at the screen, her heart made a leap. Before she knew it, her feet had started to run, taking her down the next stairway, through the hall and out into the courtyard. Students moved out of the way when they noticed her and one of the teachers shouted at her, but Rei had passed the doors at the other end before he could tell her what kind of punishment she’d have to do. 

She hadn’t expected it would really work, let alone so quickly. But now that this chance had come, she mustn’t let it slip. She was so close. 

When she reached the lower end of the stairway leading to the boiler room, she slowed down and waited until her breath had calmed down. Then she continued, carefully now and ready to catch the tiniest noise. She could hear the low hum of the boilers, the rushing of the conduits and the hammering of her heart inside her chest. Apart from that it was completely silent. 

With bated breath she sneaked forward and peered around the corner, but… nothing. There were just the old boilers, dark and with chipping paint, just like always. Something felt weird though, as if someone else had been here. Or… was that just her imagination? Was she overreacting? 

No, that wasn’t it. 

Angrily she bit her lip. This wasn’t the time to waver. Raising her alertness to the maximum level, she sneaked into the room and warily peered around the boilers. But again, the space behind them was as vacant as every time she came here. Well, no one was allowed to be here anyway, so that usually wasn’t very surprising. This time though… 

She glanced at her Disk. The bleeping had stopped, but the display still showed the signal which had led her here. 

Could it have been a false alarm? But… That actually shouldn’t happen. 

Suddenly, despite the warmth of the boilers, she felt an icy chill running down her spine. It was not really a sensation which made her turn around, rather a vague impression of danger. Of course she recognised the man immediately. His long, matted hair made him look more than just a little unkempt, but the nevertheless sharp gaze of his eyes pierced her right to the bones. 

“You have guts to confront me alone”, he said, his voice crackling a little. 

Rei shook off the paralysis which had seized her and leapt back, reflexively attaching her Duel Disk onto her arm. To her surprise the man didn’t make any attempt to follow her example. 

But… why? He had noticed immediately she was after him, so… what was he thinking? 

“Say, how did you know I was here?” he asked coldly, without a hint of insecurity. Although he didn’t seem willing to put up a fight, he wasn’t going to just come with her as well. Just what…? 

“I already figured you were going to hide at places where hardly anyone ever shows up”, she answered. “That’s why I installed audio sensors at those places to monitor whether someone is there or not. You activated one of those sensors the moment you entered this room. Your game of hide-and-seek is over.” 

“I see. And what do you want with me now?” 

Rei’s face twitched. “You really need to ask that?” she hissed angrily. “Four of my comrades are heavily injured because of you. And since not even the honour students were able to catch you, you are my chance to prove to everyone what I’m capable of.” 

“You’re lying.” 

She froze. He hadn’t even hesitated a second. How… How could he have…? 

“You are not fighting for acknowledgement or revenge”, the man continued. “I can tell that much.” 

After a moment of bewilderment Rei’s lungs drew in a deep breath. “How dare you say that?!” she shouted incensed. “You… You don’t know anything about me!” 

“Maybe. But I have the feeling you don’t know that much about yourself either. Or are you just lying to yourself?” 

She gritted her teeth. No matter what that man was saying, she mustn’t let it get to her. This was her chance and she had decided to seize it, no matter the cost. 

“Even so, what about you?” she asked. “I thought you wanted to destroy everyone affiliated with Academia. Well, I am a student of Academia. So why don’t you fight me? Or could it be you are scared you might lose?” 

The man considered her for a second before he crossed his arms, not reacting to her provocation. 

“No. You are none of the Professor’s lackeys. I can see it in your eyes.” 

“Professor’s lackeys?” she repeated. “Don’t make me laugh. The Professor is long gone. Miss Asuka is the one heading Academia now.” 

The man gave her a glare and for a moment Rei thought she had made a mistake. However, the feeling was gone in a blink and only cold hardness remained. 

“Nevertheless… It is not me you want. And I have no interest in you either. There is no reason for us to fight.” He turned around and attempted to leave. 

“W-Wait!” Rei shouted and pierced him with the angriest glare she was able to give. 

Fuck! How… How dare he? She had come here with the intention to fight him! Unlike all her cowardly classmates who were merely gossiping about the ‘mysterious assailant’, too cowardly to do something on their own, she had searched for him with the resolve to fight, even though she knew all too well what awaited her if she lost. And now he… he just treated her like an immature kid. Rei couldn’t tell how much she hated to be looked down on like this. 

“What about your pride?” she asked. “You’re a duellist, aren’t you? By refusing a challenge, you’re showing that you are nothing but a coward. So… duel me. Duel me if you have a shred of honour!” 

The man stopped. Then, slowly, he turned his head. The look he gave her made her feel like all her anger was nothing but a kid’s tantrum to him, though it was as cold and calm as before. 

“Pride, huh?” he muttered. “Before you start talking about that, you should think about the reason you want to duel. As I said, it is neither acknowledgement now revenge.” His eyes narrowed. “The reason you want to duel me right now is… mere self-gratification. I will not fight anyone with an attitude like that.” 

He fell quiet and after a moment he resumed his way. This time Rei wasn’t able to say anything to stop him, or even move a muscle. Not long after he had left, her legs gave way and she collapsed to her knees. 

Self… Self-gratification…? The reason she wanted to duel…? So she really was nothing but a kid to him. Right. A kid who was rambling on about pride and honour, but hadn’t understood anything. She… She was the one who didn’t know anything at all. 

A weird laugh arose in her throat, weird and shrill until eventually she started to cry instead. She was Academia, damn it! And yet she wasn’t even worth being crushed. 

How humiliating. 

  


* * *

  


Sora hardly cared about the electric whirr of the steel doors closing behind him or the stale smell of the air that was transported down here through long air vents. He had only eyes for the little, unimposing cell at the end of the corridor. The cell containing the one person on this island he hated most. 

He sent a brief look through the slit in the door before he put in the key and unlocked the door. The Doktor was sitting on the floor, his hands bound by shackles which chained him to the wall. 

Although it was quite a primitive, old-fashioned way of keeping a prisoner, Sora couldn’t deny it was effective. And for this particular man there was no need for pity. 

“Shiunin Sora”, the man muttered and raised his hollow face until he met Sora’s gaze. For just a moment his eyes flicked to the sling around Sora’s right arm. “My, my. What a demanded man I am.” 

A faint smirk grew over his lips. It looked completely out of place, as if his imprisonment didn’t even bother him. That kind of unreal poise was one of the reasons Sora detested him so much. 

“You know why I am here.” 

The Doktor raised a brow. “Huh? I have no idea. There must be something really important going on if both little Asuka and you pay me a visit.” 

“Just to make sure you don’t get me wrong”, Sora began. “I don’t give a shit about your little games. I know you know about Asuka’s brother. And I don’t plan on leaving without answers.” 

“Interesting. And how are you going to do that?” The Doktor raised his gaze and gave him a complacent grin, one which made the smouldering dislike inside of him blaze up. And yet, he also felt something different, a dark sort of satisfaction and excitement. He remembered that look from back then in the old warehouse when the Doktor was leaning over him, the same spark of sick anticipation shimmering in his eyes. But this time he wasn’t helpless anymore. There were no brainwashed students holding him in place, no leather straps binding him to a table. This time it was the Doktor who was chained up before him. 

“You know”, he began as he took out a bar of chocolate. “Asuka is great at organising stuff. She’s strong, she’s brave enough to order people around who are twenty years older than her and she knows exactly what she wants. Those are the qualities that make her a great leader.” 

He took a bit of the bar and enjoyed the moment the chocolate needed before it began to melt in his mouth and released the creamy sweetness it carried. “To be honest, I am lacking all those qualities. So, what do you think why I am here?” He gave the Doktor a glance, but the man only blinked, confused by the change of topics. 

“It’s because I have a quality Asuka is lacking. She is far too soft for stuff like this.” 

Unease crept over the Doktor’s gaunt features. “What… What are you talking about?” he asked, his voice suddenly rather a shriek rather than the composed, half amused one he had spoken with before. 

“If it was someone else, I would’ve tried to hold back”, Sora said before his voice grew hard. “But actually I’m still pissed by you for putting a filthy parasite in my brain. So, please do me a favour and don’t start spilling before I’ve really gotten into this.” 

He leaned closer and the Doktor backed away and squeezed against the cold stone wall. Outright fear was written all over his face now. 

“Wh-What? H-Hey. Shiunin!” 

_Look who’s so brave and in control now_ , Sora though with a feeling of satisfaction he would normally try to fight down immediately. But… not this time. This time he would nourish it, seek it to grow. His desire to inflict pain. His longing to see suffering in someone’s eyes. He knew it was a sick, twisted desire, and yet he wouldn’t be himself without it. It was part of him. Just like Academia. 

“Don’t worry”, he said and pointed at the round spot in the ceiling. “I’ve disabled the cameras. Anything you’re going to say now is going to stay just between you and me.” He took another bite of the chocolate. Then he cracked a faint smile as he considered the old, fear-stricken man in front of him. “And now scream for me, will you?” 

  


* * *

  


Hitomi was gazing into the night as well. It was the time of the day she disliked the most, the time when a velvet quiet cloaked the world and invited the voices inside her head to come and haunt her. Then she’d lie on her bed, gaze out of the window and wait for sleep to finally lull and carry her away from her dark, lonely room. 

Today it was even worse than usual. It had gotten cold lately and the sky was crystal clear, completely unlike that other sky she had viewed back then. In Heartland she hadn’t been able to see a single star. Everything had been hidden behind a cover of thick grey clouds mingled with the black smoke that had risen from the city. 

She wondered if the stars over there were the same as here. It would be a nice thought if, even when she would go to another world, the stars that watched over her were familiar. 

She didn’t know if that was the case. Of course, it wasn’t impossible to go to Heartland and take a look like Commander Phoenix and so many of her classmates had in order to help with the reconstruction. But… she didn’t have the courage to do that. She didn’t have the courage to return to that city. 

The city she had helped to destroy. 

She would never forget how it had felt, the moment she had set foot into the streets. The air had been full of screams and the fumy smell of soot and fire had gotten into her nose instantly. It had been an unpleasant feeling, but back then she hadn’t had the time to think about it. Focusing back on the orders she had been given had been more important. 

Destroy the enemy’s resistance. That’s what they had called it. 

It was nothing but a bad joke. A hunt. That’s what it was. A game to hunt down as many innocent, terrified civilians as possible. And the few duellists who were brave enough to put up a fight hardly had any chance against the mechanical army which marched through the streets, laying waste to each building it passed. Hitomi had refused to realise the full extent of this madness. She had told herself that the others were merely construing their orders more freely than they should. At least until she witnessed two of her comrades pursuing a little girl who had obviously just learned how to duel, until she ended up in a blind alley. They had forced her to duel them and laughed at her screams and her pained tears when she had been hit by their attacks. They could’ve won quickly, but they had drawn out the duel for as long as possible until the girl was crying miserably. Then they had turned her into a card. 

Hitomi had watched the whole scene in horror, ducked behind a piece of debris. That girl must be terrified, she had thought. She was just a kid after all, no different from them. Surely she wished someone would come and save her, but there had been no one around. No one except Hitomi. 

She should’ve gotten up and yell at her comrades, tell them to leave that girl alone. She had wanted to do so, but… her body had refused to move. And so she had done nothing. She had abandoned her. She, Hitomi, was the one who had taken away her chance on a future. Just like she had taken away those of the two desperate duellists she had carded before. 

After her comrades had left, joking about how miserable the girl had cried, she had stayed, curled up behind the rubble. Dismay and guilt had raged throughout her mind as she had come to realise what they were doing here had nothing to do with a conquest for the purpose of a greater goal. This was an invasion, meant to wipe out the population of Heartland. None of them was meant to be spared. 

Stripped of her illusion that had allowed her to carry out her orders, she had wandered through the burning, torn-up streets. Scenes like the one she had just witnessed were happening everywhere. People who were terrified and lost every will to fight were being chased just for fun. Her comrades seemed to be so absorbed in their game they didn’t even notice Hitomi was doing nothing to support them. 

After one day and two nights of stumbling through this city of sheer madness, through the smoke which rose from the bomb craters and the burning houses, she had received the rallying call. It had been hard to put on a neutral face, to act like she had participated in the hunt like all the others and was proud of it. Back then she had felt so terribly alien among all those people she thought she had known well. Her friends and classmates. And now? Now it had turned out they were… heartless monsters. Just like her. 

Now that madness was over. Heartland had been destroyed, its people had been pushed to the brink of complete annihilation. Hitomi wasn’t able to imagine what had motivated them to start rebuilding that city. Even with the help Academia was able to provide now, it was going to take years until it would be a place like the one they had destroyed. And it was always going to remind them of the loss and sorrow Academia had brought upon them. 

She had thought about going back. She had even taken the form to apply for her transfer into Commander Phoenix’ unit, but now it lay crumpled in the bottommost drawer of her desk. She wasn’t able to do it. She just wasn’t able to go back and relive the memories of what she had done. She wasn’t able to look into the faces of all the people she should’ve tried to save. 

That was the reason she stayed here, at this place which made her feel sick to the core and which nevertheless was the only home she had. Of course, she couldn’t deny that Asuka was her other reason to stay. She was her best and only friend and the person who had agreed to leave Academia with her. 

Back then, after her return, after everyone pretended what they had done was the most ordinary thing in the world, she had thought about what kind of a life they were going to have after they had run away. Maybe she and Asuka would’ve been able to find some place in a rural area, too small and unimportant to be found by Academia. She could well imagine herself as a farmer, driving cattle out onto the fields in the morning. Yes. She and Asuka would’ve milked the cows and made cheese and yogurt from the milk. And in the evening they would’ve sat down in front of the warm chimney, exhausted from the hard work, but nevertheless satisfied. Then Hitomi would’ve rested her head on Asuka’s lap and listened to her friend’s beautiful voice read from one of the novels she liked so much. 

That was the sweet vision she had pictured in her dreams. A peaceful and serene vision, without war and fire and screams that rang in her ears and startled her awake in the night. 

Unfortunately it was a vision that hadn’t been meant to become reality. 

She gave out a groan and shifted on her bed, trying to shake off the gloomy memories, fully aware it wasn’t going to work. Then a shadow fell on her and her heart stopped beating for a moment. She stared at the silhouette which was sitting on the window sill, paralysed with fear. It had appeared so suddenly as if it had moulded right out of the darkness. Hitomi recognised it, the long black coat, as well as the brown hair which flowed down his waist. It matched exactly Asuka’s description of the man who had attacked all the students. And yet… his face… It looked so pale and gaunt, as if he was on the brink of starvation, yet his gaze was still hard, full of a burning, resentful fire. Somehow… pitiful and amazing at the same time. 

“You are… the guy with the mask?” she asked carefully. 

“I see”, the man said. “You’ve already heard of me. That’s going to make things easier.” 

He stepped down from the sill and took a step towards her bed, leaning forward to give her a scrutinising look. She stared back, her heart thrumming loudly with fear. Did he want to duel her and hurt her like the other students? Was that the reason he had come? 

Well… In a way she would even appreciate if that was the case, if she was able to meet her punishment for the sins she had committed. Then, maybe she’d be able to sleep a little easier. 

“You aren’t like the others”, the man said after a while, causing her to blink in surprise. “I can’t see the same corruption in your eyes. You aren’t Academia.” 

After staring at him for another few seconds, Hitomi sighed and ducked her head. A wry smile tugged at her lips. “No. I guess I am not. Not anymore.” 

“Then why do you wear the clothes of Academia? Why are you here?” 

She gave out a quiet laugh. The question sounded so unbelievable funny. After all it was the same question she was asking herself day after day. 

“I stay because there is no other place I could go”, she muttered. “And also, because I want to believe in Asuka’s vision.” 

The man considered her for another moment before he relaxed and sat down on the vacant bed across her. She could feel his gaze become a little friendlier. “So, you… are a friend of Asuka?” 

She nodded. 

“I see. In that case I guess you know her a little better than I do by now. There are a few other things that are bothering me. I would like to ask you some questions about them.” 

Hitomi blinked. There was something weird about him, something which had nothing to do with the way he looked or behaved. 

“Umm… From where do you know Asuka?” she asked, confused. 

The man hesitated for a moment. Then he ducked his head. “Asuka… is my little sister”, he muttered. 

Hitomi froze and her eyes grew wide. His sister? But then why was he attacking Academia? And why…? No. He was lying, right? Asuka would’ve told her if she had a brother, wouldn’t she? 

Yes. It had to be a lie. 

However, the look in his eyes… He didn’t look like he was lying. In fact he looked sad… and tired. 

Once again she had the feeling she was sitting in front of a human who needed her help. Only this time he didn’t look weak and miserable, but the complete opposite. And yet, she felt like, if she wasn’t able to help him now, she was going to regret it for the rest of her life. 

“Okay. I’ll answer your questions”, she said and straightened up, trying to sound more confident than she felt. “But only if you stay for a meal and allow me to cut your hair. And you could also use a bath, although that’s going to have to wait until tomorrow.” 

Hitomi was certain she had never seen such a surprised look in her entire life. It was hard to believe such a grave and harried face was even capable of such an expression. 

After a few seconds the man gave out an annoyed sigh and averted his eyes. 

“F-Fine.” 

  


* * *

  


_Interlude: Dragon_

  


_“Hey, Fubuki”, Sho whispered in the quiet of the waiting room. “Do you think we’re going to get out of here again?”_

_I didn’t answer. I didn’t even know if there was anything one could answer to that question. Any flicker of hope I once had had been extinguished by the screams and the wails which rang throughout my cell, sometimes those of others, sometimes my own. And I knew Sho felt like that too. By now the boy’s initially bright, innocent voice was the low, crestfallen murmur which my voice had become so long ago. Now it was just a question of time until he’d break._

_“My big brother studied at Academia”, Sho muttered quietly. “He graduated as the valedictorian and started duelling as a pro. He always was perfect at whatever he did. Unlike me.” He paused and when he spoke on, his voice had turned wistful and sad. “I thought by studying here I could become a little more like him. A little capable of doing something myself.” He gave out a bitter snort. “What a joke. I would’ve never been a match for him.”_

_He fell quiet and I could hear the silent tears which were streaming over his face._

_“A match for him?” I asked after a while. “Why do you want to be that?”_

_“Umm… Well…” Sho’s voice trailed off. “Whenever I look at him, I feel so small and insignificant. Like I haven’t achieved anything in my life.” He sniffed noisily. “Guess I just… want to… be something of my own.”_

_I lowered my head. I knew what Sho was talking about. Siblings… they had a weird way of encouraging each other. Just like Asuka had encouraged me with her beautiful, pure smile, Sho’s brother had influenced him to grow too. And now all that encouragement had been crushed in this dark hell. If I wouldn’t have been the one in this situation, I might’ve started to laugh._

_Asuka… Was I ever going to see her again? Was I ever going to return to the life I was supposed to have? Maybe, if I could get out of here somehow…_

_The Doktor’s gleeful smile flashed before my eyes._

_Tsk. Who am I trying to fool here? It wasn’t freedom I longed for. Right, _Red-Eyes_? _

_I felt a faint response from my deck, the only thing they had left me, and I could feel _Red-Eyes’_ courage flowing into me. _

_“Say, have you ever heard the tale of the black dragon who got lost in the woods, Sho?”_

_The boy looked up, somewhat surprised. Then he shook his head._

_I took a deep breath and began._

_“There once lived a young dragon. All the other dragons looked down on him, because his scales were pitch black and didn’t shine in pretty colours like theirs. Because of that none of the others wanted to get close to him and so no one taught the young dragon how to fly. Depressed he stayed on the ground, alone, while all the other dragons soared through the air, their scales glistening beautifully in the light of the sun._

_He tried his best to fit in, tried to dye his scales and learn how to fly all by himself, but those attempts all ended up in failure and the other dragons only laughed when they saw him, cowered with mud and barely able to fly for a hundred feet. The black dragon was deeply hurt by that and so he washed away the mud and walked away. He tried to find shelter in the deep woods, tried to escape the mocking glances of the other dragons as they flew above his heads.”_

_I cast a glance at Sho who stared back, insecure, but also curious._

_“Without noticing it, the dragon walked farther and farther into it, until suddenly he noticed he didn’t know how to get back anymore. He spent all day searching for a way out, but when the sun set, he was even more lost than before. And in the darkness which grew deeper with every minute he could hear the paws of wild, hungry wolves which had surrounded him._

_Not long and they attacked him and scratched his wings and bit his tail and although he managed to shake them off eventually, he then was left alone, lost and hurt. And he knew somewhere in the shadows of the trees the wolves were waiting, licking their wounds, lurking for their next chance to assault him._

_It was then that the black dragon realised something. He wouldn’t find out of the woods any time soon, but that didn’t matter. It didn’t matter if he wasn’t pretty or couldn’t fly. He was a dragon. No matter how often the wolves would come to attack him, he’d send them howling, each and every time. Because he was strong. And one day he’d find a way out of the forest twilight and see the sun again.”_

_Several seconds passed before Sho moved. “That was no tale, was it?” he asked quietly._

_I cracked a weak smile and flipped the top card of my deck. “No, it wasn’t. I just came up with it. But…” Tenderly I brushed my fingers over _Red-Eyes_. “…a good friend of mine used to tell me such stories when I was feeling down.” _

_“A friend?”_

_I nodded. “His name was Yuusuke. He is more or less the reason I am here now.”_

_“He… was? What happened to him?”_

_I glanced up at the ceiling. “No idea. He just disappeared one day. Maybe he’s here too.”_

_“I see.” Sho curled up, despondently resting his head on his knees. “Say… That dragon in your story… Did he make it?”_

_After a moment an idea crossed my mind. I picked up my _Red-Eyes_ and offered the card to Sho. “How about you tell me?” _

  


* * *

  


Darkness was around him, but it wasn’t the thick, musty darkness he had learned to endure. This one was fresh and clear and interwoven with faint drips of starlight. For some reason it made him feel very nostalgic. Maybe… it reminded him of his bygone childhood days? 

He didn’t know. He hardly remembered anything before they had dragged him into the shadow. Apart from Asuka that was. She was the one bright star which had guided him through his years of torture, the only thing which had given him the strength to endure the fear and the pain. His sister… He had wanted to see her again, though not as part of Academia. 

How foolish he had been. Of course they wouldn’t allow her to escape their clutches. Even now, after they had disappeared, she was still bound by the shackles they had chained her up with. 

He was going to kill them. He’d kill each and every one of them. That’s what he had sworn. Though… 

He turned his head and glanced at the purple-haired girl sleeping across him. A serene look was on her face and the calm sound of her breath interrupted the quiet in regular intervals. 

Hitomi was her name, right? Should he treat her like an enemy too? 

No. For some reason that felt wrong. She hadn’t told him about what had happened between her and Academia, but it was obvious enough she wasn’t one of them. The expression in her eyes had been… gentle, and without the spark of malice he had seen in the eyes of the students he had crushed so far. And also… there had been ineffable sadness in them. 

She wasn’t part of Academia anymore. And yet, she still was here. Whether it was her friendship to Asuka or something else, Academia still refused to let her go. 

With a sigh he sat up and gave the bed an annoyed glance. Finding any sleep here was next to impossible. For years he had been forced to sleep on the floor. He supposed his body had gotten used to it at some point. 

Wistfully, he ran his fingers over the mattress beneath him. A soft bed… He wasn’t able to remember how long it had been since he had last seen one. This sensation, the thin fabric of the sheets between his fingers… it reminded him of days long gone. Back then he used to bring Asuka to bed when she hadn’t wanted to go to sleep. Whenever their parents had tried that, she had only become even more energetic. Only he had been able to lull her. He used to spend several minutes sitting next to her bed, holding her tiny hand until that innocent, unbelievably adorable expression had appeared on her face. 

To his amusement he noticed it wasn’t much different from the look on Hitomi’s face now, more than ten years later. Asuka’s friend… 

He considered her for a while, listened to the steady sound of her breaths. She looked like a completely ordinary girl, not like someone who had been raised to become a weapon. It was sad this sight felt so strange to him. 

Everyone… Everyone who had been brought to this island should’ve grown up like that, as normal, ordinary kids, untainted by the madness of the Professor and his followers. And that was the reason he needed to erase them from this world, to make them pay. For every life they had taken, for every soul they had corrupted. Including his and including Asuka’s. 

Yes, he would definitely find and destroy them. No matter where they might be hiding right now. 

The bed creaked as he got up and put on his coat. When he stepped to the window, he heard the quiet shifting of covers behind him. 

“You’re leaving?” Hitomi asked, wiping the sleep out of her eyes. She looked surprised for a few seconds, before a hint of disappointment flashed over her face. 

“Yes”, he said and turned around, facing her once more. “Before I go, let me ask you a last question. Why did you do all this for me? Did you feel… pitiful for me? Or was it because of Asuka?” 

Hitomi blinked at him. Then she ducked her head and a wry smile grew over her lips. 

“I’m afraid I don’t have such a generous reason”, she muttered quietly. “I… I am a quite selfish person. I once missed the opportunity to help someone. So, I think I am doing this to find some consolation.” 

After a moment he nodded. “I see. Then thank you for your selfish hospitality.” He turned around and climbed onto the window sill, activating his Duel Disk. “I hope you’ll find the consolation you seek. And please tell Asuka I’d like to meet her tomorrow. On top of the main tower. Tell her to come alone.” 

“O-Okay”, the girl replied, a little confused. “But what do you intend to do?” 

He let his gaze wander to the thin crescent hanging above the horizon, casting its glittering light onto the ocean beneath. It was a beautiful sight, he thought. One which continued to amaze him every night since he had left his prison. 

“Nothing”, he answered distantly. “I just want to have a talk with her in private. That’s all.” 

Then he drew a card from his deck and placed it onto the blade of his Duel Disk. He gave the girl another look and cracked a smirk as he let himself fall forward. 

_Red-Eyes_ caught him gently, welcomed him like the friend he was. A friend who had been his only company when he was alone in the dark. 

“Fubuki!” 

He looked up and saw Hitomi standing at the window, her eyes wide with panic. 

“Goodbye”, he said with a faint smile and then _Red-Eyes_ flapped his wings and carried him out into the night. “You have found yourself a good friend. I’m glad about that, little sister.” 

  


For a long time Hitomi remained standing at the window and gazed after him. After Asuka’s brother. 

It was quite weird, she thought. He had stepped right out of the night and now he had returned back to that same night, not leaving behind a trace. Apart from the imprint he had left on her. 

For the first time in forever, for the first time since she had started to run away, she had felt like she was helping someone. She had felt like she wasn’t just a bother, to Asuka, and to everyone else. 

And now he was gone. 

Was it her fault? Had she tried to project her self-blame and her craving on him and done something wrong? Could it be he hadn’t wanted her help? 

No, that wasn’t it. He had thanked her for her ‘selfish hospitality’. Then that meant… 

Her fingers tightened into the uneven surface of the stone sill. A teardrop fell onto it, followed by a few more which hit her hand. 

“Farewell, you idiot”, she whispered. Then she turned away and lay down on her bed again. After a while she curled up, though she refused to give into the sobs that wanted to burst out of her. 


	7. Decision

It had been a rainy day at Academia and despite that Instructor Sanders had let them run tracks over the muddy sports ground for hours, all-weather training to prepare them for the environmental difficulties which would await them in the war. And after they all were completely exhausted, he had told them to duel against three of his top students who of course hadn’t had to extend themselves already. 

All of them lost. Some had hardly been able to stay on their feet. Even though Rei had handled it a little better, it had been impossible to focus on the duel while every breath filled her lungs with fire and her arms and legs felt heavy as lead. Of course the Instructor had intended it to be that way, but nevertheless he had yelled at them afterwards for being such useless weaklings. 

‘Weakling’. That one word had hurt her most that day, more than the pain in her limbs or the frustration of losing. The realisation of her own weakness, of her inability to fight, to do anything as her _Reactor Dragon_ had been torn to pieces. She hadn’t wanted to feel like that ever again. That’s why she had given her best, pushed herself to her limits to become stronger, to never lose a duel again. 

And now… now her opponent hadn’t even considered her worthy enough to fight. _Self-gratification_. That’s what he had called it. 

And yes, he was right. It wasn’t a victory she yearned for. It wasn’t retaliation that had made her look for that man so desperately. Weaklings had no place on the battlefield, because only the strongest were able to survive. That was the truth Instructor Sanders had hammered into their heads that day. But… she didn’t want to be weak. She didn’t want to be discarded. What she was yearning for… was to have a place in this world, to be able to say that she had a right to be here. 

What a naïve little wish. Her right to be here? She had already forfeited that long ago. The way she was now there would be no place for her. Not at Academia, nor anywhere else. 

“Martin”, she whispered, tears rolling over her face, dripping into the fabric of her pillow. “What am I supposed to do?” 

All that answered her was the deep, accusatory silence of her room. 

Slowly she sat up. She guessed there was no point in running away any longer. In order to be free, there was just one thing she could do. 

  


* * *

  


Asuka had to brace up when she reached the roof of the tower. The wind was tugging at her clothes. It was stronger than usual today and up here one had to be careful not to be blown away. 

She needed a few seconds before she spotted the figure of the girl leaning against the parapet, absently gazing into distance. 

“What are you looking at?” she asked, joining her. 

“The horizon”, Hitomi answered pensively. “When I’m standing here, it makes me almost feel like a bird. Like I could spread my wings, soar into the sky, and leave this earthbound shell for good.” 

She turned to Asuka and an awkward smile grew over her face. “A silly wish, isn’t it?” 

Asuka smiled back and reached for a strand of hair the wind had blown across Hitomi’s face, brushing it behind her ear. Then she looked back at the horizon. 

Although she knew she was no bird and would never be able to leave the ground on her own, it was nice to imagine it. Just flying away, feeling the wind under her wings as she glided above the waves. She remembered they had had a similar conversation before. 

“Why did you ask me to come here, Hitomi?” 

Her friend cast down her eyes. “Well, I wanted to see you, and I needed some fresh air. And also… I needed a place where no one would overhear us.” 

Surprised, Asuka raised her brow. “What do you mean?” 

After a moment Hitomi’s face turned sad. “Your brother”, she muttered. “He… came to my room last night.” 

“Huh?” Asuka gasped. “W-Wait, did he…?” 

Hitomi smiled shyly. “No, it wasn’t like that. I just gave him shelter.” 

“Oh.” Asuka relaxed. If he had done something to Hitomi, then… she didn’t know what she would’ve done then. 

“He told me he has been imprisoned for several years and asked me what happened in the meantime. I told him about the war and the Lancers and that you took over Academia.” Hitomi straightened up and turned towards her, a serious look in her eyes. “He has given me a message for you. If you want to end this peacefully, you should come to talk to him, alone.” 

Asuka stared at her. She felt as though her mind had just started to work at high-speed. 

Talk to him. If she could settle this without a fight, if she could find out what his aim was… This was a unique chance. And yet, he wanted to meet her, the head of Academia, alone, so this could as well be a trap. As long as her memory was as confused as it was, she had no way to tell if he really was who he claimed to be. And yet, if she refused, he might start attacking her students again. She mustn’t allow that to happen. 

“Okay”, she said, meeting Hitomi’s warm gaze. “Then I have a favour to ask of you.” 

  


* * *

  


“I think this should be enough. Make sure to favour the leg for the rest of the day and it will be as good as new.” 

“Y-Yes, ma’am”, the boy responded insecure. “Thank you.” 

As he left the treatment room a faint smile grew over Mrs Ayukawa’s lips. Seeing the happiness on the faces of others was something wonderful. And if she could do anything to preserve it, then that happiness also became hers. If someone asked her about the reason she had become a doctor, that would probably be her answer. 

After a while she stretched herself, exhausted. Then her mood plummeted as she thought about the four students who lay on the intensive care unit. It was evening already and still none of them had woken up. To think she’d have to deal with this kind of injuries again… 

Slowly her gaze wondered to the photo on her desk. It depicted her along with a friend right after their graduation from college. Back then when their hopes had been high. She wondered what he was doing right now. 

A soft knock made her look up and she was surprised to find Rei standing in the door. 

“Rei? What can I do for you?” 

On second glance she noticed the girl didn’t look very well. Her hair was unkempt and her eyes were slightly reddened as though she had cried a lot. It was understandable though. It could be hard to find out one’s memory, the foundation of one’s very identity, had been messed with. From what she could tell based on the brief scan she had conducted yesterday the amount of blocked memories was much smaller compared to Asuka, but… the insecurity alone was more than someone her age should have to deal with. 

“Mrs Ayukawa? I’d like to do that therapy you spoke of.” 

She gave the girl a surprised look. “Oh… sure.” Quickly she got up from her seat. Then she hesitated when her eyes met the photo again. 

“Is something wrong?” Rei asked. 

A smile grew over her lips and she shook her head. “No, no. I just thought that I underestimated you.” 

Being young… Yes, maybe she had been like that too. 

“Please follow me”, she said and walked over to the confused-looking girl. “The devices we need are in a different room.” 

  


* * *

  


_Interlude: A Doctor’s Pain_

  


_Being young and ignorant… Things surely had been a lot easier back then. She had had no idea of the hard daily routine in the hospital, of the never-ending night shifts and exhausting surgeries. It had been only two years after graduation until the countless crushed bones, burns, cuts and bleedings had brought her to the brink of collapsing. When she had received an offering for a new job at Academia, it had felt more like a nice dream than like something that could really happen. Of course she had seized that chance to escape the endless stream of the severely wounded immediately._

_When the ship had dropped her on the island, she had imagined Academia to be a friendly and welcoming place, but reality had turned out to be different. Since she had never visited it as a teenager, she hadn’t known about the elitist, military drill of students and instructors alike. With the invasion of Heartland all her initial gratefulness towards the Professor had faded entirely as she had realised. They weren’t raising children but mere soldiers for the upcoming war._

_And yet, she hadn’t quit. Everything was better than the hospital. She didn’t have to perform complicated surgeries. She didn’t have to face people’s entrails all the time. She didn’t have to fight for the lives of people she knew she wouldn’t be able to save. That’s why she hadn’t quit although she had known every injury she had to treat was the result of the Professor and his vision. And although she had known what kind of suffering they were inflicting on others._

_In a way that made her worse than the students who had been raised as weapons to fight in a war without meaning and who had never learned it could be any different. She had known what she was doing and she regretted it bitterly._

_After the Lancers had ended the war and the staff of the Professor had been disbanded, she had wanted to quit for good in order to make up for following such a madman without protest. That was when Asuka had approached her and asked her to stay. Atone for what you did by doing it better from now on. Those had been her words._

_It sure was amusing. This girl who was well over ten years younger than her had proven her how little she had understood about life. Asuka had believed in her. And that was why she had decided to believe in Asuka as well and help her as much as she could. It was a decision she hadn’t regretted once in her life._

  


* * *

  


“This is… the Doktor’s laboratory?” 

“Yes”, she replied hesitantly. “I’m afraid he was the one who developed the device to analyse and manipulate memories. Theoretically it should be possible to restore memories with it as well, though that has never been tried yet.” 

She walked over to the large apparatus on the left and reached for the bulky helmet attached to it, before turning back to the girl. 

“Now take a seat and we are ready to start.” 

  


* * *

  


Night had fallen on Academia, though Sora was hardly able to notice. The place he was standing at was always dark. The only thing lighting up the big metal tube he was leaning against was the faint glow of his Duel Disk. Not that he needed any light right now. 

_“Hound Five, ready and standby.”_

_“Hound Seven, ready and standby.”_

He listened silently as the honour students reported they had reached their positions. When the last one had finished, he opened his eyes and said: “Okay. That means the trap is set up.” 

Now all that was left to do was to wait for the fox to walk into it. 

He flicked his lollipop from one side of his mouth to the other. It was a good plan, but nevertheless he couldn’t help but have a bad feeling about it. It wasn’t based on reason, but on his intuition as a duellist. No matter how good their fox trap was, it might not be enough to catch a dragon. 

Even so, that wasn’t his biggest worry. 

  


_“The underground storage halls near the harbour?” Asuka asked sceptically. “But that place is a maze of corridors with a lot of spaces to hide.”_

_“Yes, but once you’re in it there are very few ways to get out. And the corridors are too narrow for a duel, meaning he can’t summon his monsters to escape. If we want to capture your brother, that might be the only way.”_

_Asuka’s gaze turned uncomfortable at the word ‘brother’ and she looked away. “True”, she admitted. “But don’t you think he’ll think just like you do?”_

_“Yes, probably. That’s why we need a lure which is going to make him take that risk.”_

_“And that would be me, yes?”_

_“No. In that case he could simply take you hostage. Someone else is going to double for you.”_

_“But…”_

_“No buts”, he interrupted her protest. “I know you don’t like to let someone else do the dangerous part, but you’re too important to put your life at stake. You’re the head of Academia.”_

_Her face turned thoughtful and she looked down at her hand. Then she gave out a sigh. “That sounds like something the Professor would’ve said. Sora, anyone could do that job.”_

_“That isn’t true.”_

_He gave her a long glance, but the surprise in her eyes only turned into confusion. She hadn’t even noticed how special she was._

_“Asuka, there’s no one who is as trusted and respected by everyone as you are. Without you Academia would be thrown into another crisis. I’m not saying this out of personal affection, but as the head of security.”_

_She blinked. Then she wrapped one arm around herself. “Then I guess I should trust my head of security, shouldn’t I?”_

_She cracked a faint smile and after a second he did so as well._

_“Good. Then all you need to do is inform him of the meeting place.”_

_Asuka nodded._

  


Now that he thought about it, it had been quite easy to convince her. Normally she’d outright reject a plan that would put anyone else at risk. She really had to be in a bad condition. Or maybe… 

_“Hound Four here. There’s a suspicious sound on our end”_ , the hushed voice of one of the honour students pulled him out of his thoughts. 

He recalled the positions of his team members. Hound Four and Five were near the eastern end, close to the passage which led to the loading terminal at the harbour. That meant their target had entered the hunting ground from that direction. 

“Hound One here”, he replied. “Hound Four, hold your position. If the target approaches you, fall back towards the southern exit hatch.” 

Time to see how far they could lure the fox before he noticed them. 

_“Understood.”_

Sora called up the map of the area. Assuming they came from the harbour, there weren’t many paths they could take. Probably it wouldn’t take long until… 

_“Hound Eleven, someone is coming our way.”_

Right. 

“Hold your positions. Let the fox get further into our trap.” 

_“Understood”_ , the girl whispered back. 

A faint smile tugged at his lips. That course would lead him right to the place Sora had pointed out to Asuka. And on the way… 

_“Hound six here. I can see someone with a weak light. They’re wearing a long coat. I think it’s the target.”_

“Stay where you are. No need to get hasty.” 

_“Roger that. Oh, fuck!”_

“What happened?” 

The boy on the other end gasped. _“They noticed us. Now they’re fleeing back towards the harbour.”_

Calmly Sora took out his lollipop. The hunt had begun. 

“Hound Ten and Eleven, block their way. Hound Six and Seven, give chase. Four and Five, move towards Section Beta.” 

And as an additional measure… He pressed a key on his disk. Somewhere above him the heavy bulkheads slammed shut, sealing off the exit towards the harbour as well as the storage halls. Now it was just a question of time until the target would be caught in their trap. And this time he wouldn’t be able to summon his dragon to escape, at least not without risking making the entire rock layer above them cave in. 

_“Hound Six here, the target has run into a side corridor.”_

Sora considered the map again. “Follow them”, he ordered. “Ten and Eleven, move forward to the junction and seal it off. Hound Eight and Nine, move west towards Section Gamma.” 

He plucked the lollipop back into his mouth. Although he wished it was different, he was enjoying the hunt. 

_“Hound Nine here, we’ve spotted the target. They’re wearing a long cloak and a mask, just like in the description.”_

Sora’s quirked a brow. “Pursue them”, he replied. “Six and Seven, stay at the junction. Twelve and Thirteen, come from the other side and block their escape route.” 

_“Roger that”_ , Hound Thirteen answered. 

Seconds passed and Sora grew aware he had started to bob up and down with excitement. Quickly he quenched the impulse. He wasn’t like that anymore. 

_“Hound Twelve here”_ , another voice spoke up. _“We’ve met up with Hound Eight and Nine, but we haven’t seen the target. They must’ve escaped down one of the maintenance shafts.”_

“Split up and search them. Hound Four and Five, move towards the ends of the shafts and drive the fox deeper into our web.” 

_“Yes, sir!”_

A few seconds passed in silence. Then: _“There they are! Now we have them!”_

_“Hound Four here, the target is fleeing towards Section Theta.”_

Theta, huh? With that there weren’t many options left. 

He closed another bulkhead and eliminated one of them. As useful as they were in a situation like this, he would’ve been glad if the Professor hadn’t equipped the whole Academia building with them. In that case Asuka wouldn’t have been carded by Yuri in the first place. 

“Hound Two and Three, move north and nail the fox at Section Lambda”, he ordered. 

With that all his cards had been played. Now the outcome depended on how good this fox was. 

Impatiently he rolled his lollipop from one side of his mouth to the other. Although everything had gone according to plan, he didn’t like being unable to manipulate the game any further. At times like this he always began to ponder whether he had missed anything. Then, finally, one of the honour students spoke up. 

_“Err… Hound Two here… Umm… We’ve joined with Hound Four and Five, but… the target is nowhere to be seen. I’m afraid we’ve lost them.”_

The boy sounded like he was expecting to be demoted right on the spot. Under the Professor he probably would’ve met that fate, but… 

“Don’t worry”, Sora replied. “With that your job is done. Leave the rest to me.” 

Before the boy could ask any dumb questions, he muted his Duel Disk and looked up. A faint ring of light appeared in the ceiling, becoming wider as the hatch was opened entirely. Then a dark shadow landed in front of him, straightened up and froze the moment it noticed him. 

“Hi”, he said, giving the masked figure a scrutinising look. They had a quite feminine build. “You probably hoped to escape through the air duct behind me, but I’m sorry to inform you I’ve already sealed it. So since the only way out would be the one you came, how about you stay here and answer a few of my questions?” 

He narrowed his eyes. “First of all: Who are you?” 

  


* * *

  


The only noise which interrupted the silence was the steady clicking of Asuka’s shoes on the stone floor, as she slowly walked down the dark corridor, following the trail of footprints in the dust. Turning around the corner, she descended a flight of steps and entered another corridor. The walls and the ceiling were draped with ghastly shimmering cobwebs and the old wooden doors looked like they hadn’t been opened in a while. That was, apart from one. 

Asuka stopped in front of it and reached for the handle. A faint light was shimmering beneath it. 

  


* * *

  


Slowly the figure raised their hands and took off the black mask. Two large braids of hair shimmered in the dim light of his Duel Disk when they shook their head. 

“When did you notice?” the girl asked in a surprisingly soft voice. 

“The moment I heard about the mask”, he answered. “I guess you didn’t know, but that man’s mask shattered when I duelled him. It was unlikely he’d have a second one.” 

“You are wrong. I did know about the mask. But if one of you had seen my face, you wouldn’t have played along.” She smiled weakly. “Say, if you knew I wasn’t the one you’re after, why did you chase after me?” 

Sora made a grimace. “That’s because I had a feeling something would go wrong from the start. And since you know something, asking you is the fastest way to find out what.” He narrowed his eyes. “I guess Asuka has asked you to do this. Where is she?” 

The girl lowered her gaze and looked down at the mask in her hands. “She’s meeting her brother in order to bring an end to all of this.” 

Sora’s fingers curled into a fist. He knew it! Normally she wouldn’t have agreed to this plan without a long fight. He had been foolish to think she would let him do things his way for once. 

“You won’t find her in time”, the girl said when he looked up at the hatch above their heads. “Asuka has decided to do this alone. Please respect her decision.” 

Sora hesitated for a moment. “I’ll still go”, he said then. “I am Asuka’s shield. That’s why I have to.” 

  


* * *

  


She couldn’t help but smile a little as she considered Rei. The helmet made her almost look like some kind of cyborg. 

“Alright”, she said, focusing back on what she had to do. “I’m going to start analysing your brain waves now. Please focus on the things you remember right before or after something is missing. I’ll try to identify these parts and stimulate that part of your memory.” 

She was about to start the process when Rei touched her arm. 

“Does erasing memories work like that too?” the girl asked. 

“Huh? Well, yes”, she said. “Under the Professor we used to erase certain memories by force, but that method puts a lot of strain on the person’s mind, so I’d like to avoid it.” 

“I see”, Rei muttered. 

Mrs Ayukawa turned back to the monitor in front of her which showed a rough outline of Rei’s brain now. She zoomed in on the neocortex which after a moment began to turn yellow. With bated breath she waited as some sections grew darker and others brighter, narrowing down their search. 

After a while she noticed she was feeling a little nervous. There was no guarantee it was going to work. In the worst case Rei’s memory could take even further damage. If that happened… She just hoped it wouldn’t. She hoped fortune would be with them for once. 

Suddenly a certain section of the amygdala turned red. Apparently this was the section they were looking for. 

“Okay, I think I’ve found it”, she said, giving the girl a feigned smile. “I’ll start stimulating your brain now.” 

She zoomed in on the section and reached for the key which would start the stimulation, but before she could press it, something touched her waist, making her freeze. Slowly she lowered her gaze and met the rectangular shape of a stun gun. 

“Thank you, Mrs Ayukawa”, Rei muttered behind her. “But I don’t want to remember.” 

Then everything went black. 


	8. Poison

It was like a faint drizzle of shimmering pearls of light raining down on her, wonderful to behold, yet when she reached out to touch them her hand twitched back as though she had burned herself. 

They were memories. Memories she had sealed behind a door in the remotest corner of her mind. Memories which had the power to fill her heart with dread and turn her feigned courage into despair. 

  


_“Hey, Rei…”_

  


For two long years she had carried them around, but the more she pretended they didn’t exist, the faster they seemed to eat her up. 

  


_“R-Right now I don’t have the strength to be much of a help to you. But… I want to become stronger so I can fight along your side as an equal.”_

  


Her chest grew tight and she cowered together, pressing both hands over her ears. She didn’t want to go back to that place, to that moment which had turned her life into a pile of shards. And yet, in order to forget she had to relive it one last time. 

  


_Martin stared at her and his cheeks were flushing red._

_“Rei, I… I like you very much. And…”_

  


Tears rolled over her cheeks as she raised her head and stared at the ceiling as if she could find any answers written down there. Why? Just why did he have to develop feelings for her? If he had just viewed her as a rival, as an enemy he had to beat, then maybe… maybe he’d still be alive. 

A weird giggle arose inside her and a moment later she doubled over laughing. How pathetic it was to wish for a different outcome, how easy to put the blame on someone else. 

And yet, the truth was: It had all been her fault. With a choked sob she leaned back and allowed the shimmering pearls to carry her away to the stage of her despair. 

  


* * *

  


Two years ago: 

  


“The battlefield is a cold and relentless place! You would do well not to forget that. Those without the power to prevail against their enemies will fall!” 

Instructor Sanders’ loud voice rang across the rows of the gathered students as he inspected them. 

“We are going to determine here and now which ones of you have that power. In order to attain victory you need endurance, tactical skill as well as the iron will to survive.” 

“Yeah, right”, a girl in the row behind Rei whispered to her neighbour. “As if that would help us.” 

“The Obelisks are going to win anyway”, the other girl whispered back. 

Rei’s lip twitched in annoyance. With that attitude none of them would ever be sent to the front lines. Someone who didn’t believe they could win would always remain a loser. 

“Students!” Instructor Sanders shouted and the two girls snapped to attention. “For the first three minutes your Duel Disks will remained locked down. From that point on you are going to be on your own. Now show me what you are made of! For the glory of Academia!” 

“For the glory of Academia!” the students repeated loudly. 

Sanders stepped aside and the wall behind him which had looked so solid just a moment ago peeled away, giving view to a ruined city scape. The other instructor raised his hand and immediately the first row of students began to run across the narrow bridge which led towards the dull housing area and the slanted skyscraper which loomed in the centre of the holographic city. 

The boy in front of her turned around and gave her a nervous smile. “Good luck, Rei”, he muttered before he followed the other students. 

She gritted her teeth. ‘Luck’? This was a battle of skill, endurance and willpower. Luck had nothing to do with it! 

The instructor gave the next signal and Rei’s row started. A metallic noise filled her ears as their boots drummed over the steel bridge and she noticed her anger was fading, making was for a sense of anticipation. If she achieved good results in this exam, she could be promoted to Ra Yellow. Maybe she’d even be allowed to be part of the army which was going to invade Xyz. 

Alright! This was her chance to show everyone how good she was! 

A confident smirk curved her lips as she took a deep breath and charged into the destroyed streets. 

  


* * *

  


“ _Antique Gear Wyvern_ , direct attack!” 

The Ra Yellow across her gasped in shock as a burst of flames enveloped him and burned away his remaining Life Points. Rei’s hand wandered to the key on her Duel Disk, the key which would turn him into a card, but then she hesitated. True, he was a loser and his skills were hardly sufficient to call him a duellist, but in the end this was just a practical exam. There was no need to card those who lost. 

“Game over”, she said coldly and turned away, stepping back into one of the streets. 

Fifteen minutes had passed since the start of the fighting and this was the second duellist she had kicked out, though she wasn’t able to feel very good about it. The desolate look of the houses around her had put the dampers on her mood already, and on top of that it had begun to rain and the mud beneath her boots squelched with each step. It appeared the instructors were planning on testing their endurance both physically and mentally. This was just great. 

A loud crashing sound caused her to start and she whipped around, expecting an attack from behind, but then an Osiris Red who had just passed over the roof above her caught her eye, an _Antique Gear Hound Dog_ at his side. A moment later he was followed by an Obelisk Blue and her _Antique Gear Knight_. Apparently both of them were too absorbed in their duel to notice her. 

Moving across the roofs… It was quite a good idea, she thought with a smirk. That way she wouldn’t have to trudge through the mud and it would be much easier to find new opponents. And she was going to start with whoever would come out of this duel victoriously. 

She leapt onto an old dustbin and held onto a downpipe, pressing her feet against the wall before performing a somersault onto the roof. A hurried glance told her the two students had already moved away quite a bit and so she attempted to follow them hastily when suddenly a hand caught her shoulder. 

Instinctively she darted around and pushed, causing the boy behind her to lose his balance and with a dumbfounded expression he landed on the wet roof. 

Adrenaline was pulsing through her veins and her hand had already crossed half the way to her Duel Disk before she recognised him. 

“M-Martin?” she muttered in disbelief. When she managed to regain her composure, she quickly took a fighting stance. 

“Ouch ouch ouch”, the boy whimpered in a slightly miserable voice as he rubbed his backside. Then he noticed her grim look and nervously threw up his arms. “W-Wait a moment, Rei! I don’t mean to duel you!” 

“Really? What were you trying to do then?” 

After a moment Martin seemed to realise she wasn’t going to attack him right away and relaxed visibly. “I… I… wanted to suggest forming an alliance.” 

“An alliance?” Rei asked, raising her brow. 

“Right.” Martin nodded cheerfully. Then he cast down his eyes and a faint blush crept over his cheeks. “Umm… I’ve watched you during your training and I know that you are super strong. But even you will have difficulties to fight against the Obelisk Blues on your own.” 

“You want me to team up with you?” she asked, giving him a doubtful look. He was such a clumsy boy and it was difficult for her to make any sense out of him. He seemed to always carry a friendly smile on his face and whenever he talked to others he acted all timid and insecure, probably trying to lull them into a false sense of security. More than once Rei had noticed how well that strategy worked, even on her. She was sure that this boy was more than dangerous than most of her classmates, but maybe she could make use of that innocence for now. 

She just had to be careful. If she lowered her guard too much, he’d surely stab her in the back as soon as he got the chance. 

“Alright”, she said, faking a warm smile. “Then let’s work together to win this battle, partner.” 

Martin’s eyes widened and then he happily took the hand she offered him. “Uh-huh. Let’s win.” 

Careful not to lose her balance, she pulled him back to his feet. She still had no idea what was going on in his head, but as long as he’d give her an advantage over the other students, she would use him. And after that… she’d have to dispose of him somehow. 

  


* * *

  


With a triumphant smirk Rei deactivated her Duel Disk. 

“Let this be a lesson to you. Never underestimate an opponent, no matter how weak they may look. Or else you’re going to pay a much higher price next time.” 

She turned away from the Obelisk boy and decided to meet up with Martin who had stayed at the staircase to watch out for other duellists who might have the idea to use the higher ground of the skyscraper to get a better overview over the terrain. It was really useful to have him guard her back. That way she didn’t need to worry about a surprise attack and was able to focus entirely on her duels. 

Suddenly a large shadow fell on her. Before she was able to react, a strong arm seized her, covering her mouth while a second one wrapped around her, preventing her from moving her arms, and then she was lifted into the air. 

“As if I’d let myself be defeated by a little girl”, the Obelisk Blue hissed into her ear and although she struggled against his grip, he carried her closer and closer towards the broken windows. 

“What do you think will happen to your body if you fall from up here?” he asked, his voice shaking with anger and frustration. 

Rei tried to swear at him, but his hand reduced her words to an indistinct, muffled sound. 

“No idea?” he asked gleefully. “Well, I am itching to find out.” 

He forced her another step closer to the edge, but still she couldn’t break free. Fuck Fuck Fuck! She didn’t want to die here! She couldn’t let herself be beaten by a scumbag she had defeated already! 

Angrily she threw her head forward and narrowed her jaws. Her teeth managed to catch one of the man’s fingers. He let out a painful howl and for a moment his grip slackened a little and she managed to yank free her right arm. Before he had the time to recover, she thrust her elbow into his side, as forcefully as she could and suddenly she was free and sprinted towards the door. With a choked swear the Obelisk chased after her. Just a quick sidestep to the left saved her from being caught again and she ran down the short corridor and skidded around the corner heading to the staircase. 

To her shock there was nobody there. Martin should’ve been here, but… he was gone. 

Crap, she thought as she jumped up the steps, the Obelisk right on her heels. Martin had betrayed her. He had already abandoned her. Of course she had expected him to, but she hadn’t thought it would happen this quickly. 

“You shitty brat! Do you think you can escape me?!” 

Without giving an answer she swung around on the landing and attempted to run up to the next storey when she heard a wild scream ahead and a small silhouette whizzed past her. The Obelisk’s surprised shout was cut short when a fire extinguisher hit him and sent him flying against the wall and further to the floor where he remained, unconscious. 

“Y-You ought to know something!” Martin said upset. “Rei is the best! So when she beats you, you better stay down, or else you gotta deal with me!” His breath was going heavy and pearls of sweat were forming on his forehead, but when he turned to her he nevertheless cracked a soft smile. “Are you okay?” 

Unable to express the relief or amazement she felt inside, she simply nodded perplexed. So he hadn’t abandoned her. In fact, he had waited and showed up just in time to save her. 

“Y-Yeah, I’m fine”, she muttered and to her dismay she felt her face flush red. “I… I just got careless for a second.” 

His smile brightened up and something warm began to spread throughout Rei’s chest. 

Damn it! This wasn’t the time to get flustered! This still was an exam! 

She looked down at the Obelisk and the weird feeling faded a little. That had been close. He had almost killed her. Although she was angry at him, she was even angrier at herself. She should’ve known not all of her opponents would play fair. After all everything was allowed on the battlefield. 

“What do we do with him?” Martin asked. 

Rei’s gaze flicked to her Duel Disk. Then she rejected the idea. 

“Nothing”, she sighed. “He won’t be able to duel anymore. We should just leave him here and go look for our next opponent.” 

Damn it. She really was too nice. 

“Alright”, Martin said as he followed her down the stairs, not without giving the unconscious boy a wary glance. 

“What were you doing up there anyway?” she asked after they had passed two floors. “I thought you wanted to make sure nobody else comes up here.” 

“Oh, well, err…” Martin began with an awkward smile. “I… I thought what if someone noticed what we had planned and tried to climb the fire escape? That’s why I… went to check on that.” 

“I see. Please tell me next time you do something like that.” 

Although that would hardly change anything, she thought wryly. It had been a split-second decision to flee upstairs. She wondered if she would’ve made the same choice if she had known Martin had been there. 

Crap. It was dangerous to trust him like that. _He_ was dangerous. 

“Hey, Rei”, Martin began tentatively. 

She stopped and looked up at him. Once again the expression of his face was difficult to read. Although he looked kind of happy, there was also something sad in his gaze, something which seemed to be directed at her. 

“You… You are so courageous, Rei, and… I admire you for that.” When he met her surprised gaze, his cheeks flushed red and he quickly looked away. “Umm… I mean, you challenge Obelisk Blues all on your own. And even though that guy nearly got you just a moment ago, you’re completely calm again. I… I think that’s cool.” 

He paused for a moment and suddenly Rei understood what the look on his face meant. 

“R-Right now I don’t have the strength to be much of a help to you. But… I want to become stronger so I can fight along your side as an equal.” 

Fight… along her side? But why? She could understand why he was frustrated to be weak. After all she felt no different, but… 

“Along _my_ side?” she asked quietly, her hands shaking. “Why? Do you think you can’t become stronger on your own? You’re Academia, aren’t you? Do you think just because I’m better than you, you need to piggyback on me?” 

Martin stared at her, bewildered by her sudden coldness. 

“N-No, that’s… It’s not because you’re better than me. Rei, I…” 

_No!_ something inside her screamed. Don’t say that! She didn’t want him to feel like that! 

“…I like you very much. And… I want to…” 

No No No No No! He had already gotten far too deep into her mind! He had even brought her so far as to form an alliance with him. The ever-present timid smile on his face… That shy way he talked to her… That was not what she wanted! She didn’t want to open up to him anymore! 

“…I want to be at your side to protect you, Rei!” 

Her eyes grew wide ad she couldn’t help but stare at him. He looked embarrassed about the things he just said, but also kind of relieved. It must’ve taken him a lot of courage to say this. And yet… her chest had grown tighter with every word that had passed his lips. She had told herself not to forget how dangerous he was. But the longer they stayed together, the harder it got to see him as an enemy. 

Damn it! It was supposed to be just a temporary alliance to help her defeat the other students! She had never wanted… She hadn’t thought he’d be… in… in love with her. 

“I…” she began in a shaking voice. “I…” 

Martin gazed at her, half expecting her to turn him down. 

“I…” 

She couldn’t… She couldn’t say it! Not like this! Not when her feelings were in such turmoil. 

Suddenly she heard the clicking of boots on stone and behind Martin an Obelisk Blue turned around the landing. But… that wasn’t the same boy they had knocked out just a minute ago. Had he come up here while Martin had checked the fire escape? Or had he been there all along and waited for his chance? 

With a grin he placed a card on the blade of his Duel Disk and a _Hound Dog_ appeared in mid-air, jumping at them. Rei’s hand was already moving towards her own Disk, but she realised there was not enough time. Instinctively she slumped backwards and, grabbing Martin’s wrist, she pulled the surprised boy with her. 

The hound’s paws hit the step Martin had stood on and its next leap carried it above their heads and it crashed against the wall of the landing below them. A moment later Rei’s back slammed against the floor too and the air was knocked out of her lungs. When she forced herself to sit up and squinted through the blurry haze in front of her eyes, her breath caught as she recognised the Spell Card hovering in front of the smirking Obelisk. _Antique Gear Bomb_. Crap!

She tried to roll away, but too late. The _Hound Dog_ which had just missed them a second ago exploded and Rei was thrown into the air and crashed into a hard surface, whether it was wall, floor or ceiling, she couldn’t tell. 

Pain racked her body and when she gasped for breath she tasted something metallic inside her mouth. And yet, the feeling which eclipsed everything else and made the blood boil in her veins was hot burning anger. 

Those filthy Obelisk scum! They were supposed to be Academia’s elite and yet they just relied on dirty tricks! How pathetic! She wouldn’t let herself be defeated by someone like that! 

Defiantly she forced herself back to her knees, clenching her teeth when she felt a stab of pain in her thigh, and activated her Disk. The Obelisk froze the moment he came around the bend and met her glare. Surprise superseded the confidence in his eyes. Apparently he hadn’t expected them to be able to fight back after his surprise attack. Then it was all the more reason to strike him before he could regain his composure. 

“ _Antique Gear Wyvern_ ”, Rei whispered, flipping the top card of her deck and a moment later the mechanic wyvern showed up in front of her. The Obelisk leapt back before the burst of fire could hit him and a moment later the sound of quick footsteps thrummed in her ears, running upstairs. Giving out an angry hiss, she attempted to follow him, but when she got up, everything began to swirl around her and she had to lean against the wall for support. 

_Support_ … Right! Martin! 

She took a quick look around, but he was nowhere to be seen. The staircase had been damaged significantly and part of the ceiling had caved in. Could it be he had been buried beneath the rubble? She took a careful step forward when all of a sudden she heard a faint voice. 

“R-Rei?” 

It hadn’t come from the caved-in part, but… With a gasp Rei hurried to the railing and… yes, there he was, hanging right above the abyss with just three fingers on a small ledge. 

Her first thought was to run to the next lower floor and try to pull him in from there, but then Martin’s ring finger slipped off and she realised with her injured leg it would be impossible to get there in time. 

She swore inwardly and reached down to grab his wrist. Before her fingers touched it however, something made her stop. 

Did she really… want to save him? 

Part of her was dismayed to even think such a question, but it was not that part which had stopped her hand. Right. He… He had made her careless. If his weird confession hadn’t distracted her, she would’ve noticed that Obelisk much sooner. It was all his fault. Admiration… affection… those things had no place in a battle. It was a game for survival. Those who gave into such useless feelings would end up losers. 

She didn’t want to lose. No, wrong. She had vowed not to lose. That day when she had been lying in the mud, the indifferent face of that Obelisk Blue looking down on her, she had vowed to never lose again. But this boy… He had toppled her firm resolution. It was too dangerous to let him stay at her heels. From this point on they would go separate ways. 

“I’m sorry”, she muttered, pulling back her hand. “But you don’t have any use to me anymore.” 

The painful stab in her heart when she got back to her feet and turned away was something she’d never forget, just like the terrified, dismayed stare of his wide, grey eyes. 

  


One hour later Rei was sitting in a small room, adjacent to the arena, along with everyone else who had lost. She didn’t raise her eyes to look at them. She didn’t try to talk to any of them. When the door opened, her eyes flicked to the two paramedics who entered, carrying a white stretcher. 

On top of it lay Martin’s lifeless body. 

  


* * *

  


Present Day: 

  


A hysteric mixture of laughing and crying rang in Rei’s ears and she needed several seconds to realise it was her own. 

There was no denying it any longer. She had killed Martin because she had been afraid. Afraid of him and the way she might change if she stayed close to him. No matter how hard she had tried to block it out, that knowledge had begun to poison her mind until every passing day made her feel like she was dying little by little. She felt so tired of it. All she wanted was to be free of this terrible guilt which threatened to tear her apart. And now, that wish would finally come true. At last… 

“R-Rei!” 

She started at the sound of her name and darted around to the door, meeting the upset face of Miss Asuka who stared at her with wide eyes. With wide, worried eyes. 

“Stay away”, she said weakly, reaching for the stun gun she had used to knock out Mrs Ayukawa. “Please, stay away from me.” 

Miss Asuka’s gaze flicked to the unconscious doctor and then to the monitor next to Rei and suddenly she seemed to understand. 

“No! Rei, what… what are you doing? S-Stop that! Please!” 

Rei’s fingers tightened around the handle of the weapon. She had made her decision already. Stepping back now meant to lose the last bit of self-esteem she had left. 

“This is none of your business, Miss Asuka. So stay out of this. If you don’t, then…” She glanced at the stun gun. 

“No, Rei! You don’t know what you’re doing! Get away from there!” 

Rei cracked a wry smile. She didn’t know what she was doing? That might be true. But this was the only path she could see. 

“You want to stop me?” she asked, her voice shaking with amusement and bitterness. “It’s too late for that.” 

With that she hit the key on the control panel and an electric hum announced the start of the procedure which was going to erase the rest of her memories about that day and the boy who had managed to ruin her entire life. 

“Goodbye, Martin”, she whispered, smiling faintly as tears started to run down her cheeks. “I’m sorry.” 

The white-hot pain exploded between her temples. Images flooded into her head, far more than she could possibly process. She caught a glimpse of Martin’s yellow jacket, of the Obelisk Blue he had knocked out with the fire extinguisher, of his awkwardly blushing face as he confessed to her, and then, slowly, she sensed how they began to fade into the white. 

And finally she was free. 


	9. Clash of Convictions

_Plick._

A faint sound, like a drip of light falling onto the water, sending ripples in every direction. They disrupted the blissful serenity which had lulled her and stirred up the scattered pieces which had once formed her self. 

There it was again, a single word – no – a name. _Her_ name. 

_“Rei.”_

Although she didn’t want to, her mind steadily awoke from its fugue state and she grew aware of the person standing across her. 

“Martin.” 

Her lips had uttered his name before she had fully realised it was him. And yet, there was something wrong about it. 

“Martin…” She gave him a closer look and suddenly her heart grew cold. He was dead, but… “Why… Why do I dream that? I was supposed to forget about that! I was supposed to forget about _you_!” 

Martin just cracked a smile. Although it was warm and friendly, Rei couldn’t help but think that he was sneering at her. 

“Answer me!” she shouted angrily. “Why do I still remember you?!” 

Instead of giving her an answer, Martin raised his arm, offering her his hand. She stared at him as though he had gone crazy. Then she heard something else, a distant, worried voice. 

Martin’s smile brightened up. 

_“Wake up, Rei.”_

  


* * *

  


“Rei? Rei?! Can you hear me?” 

After what felt like forever the girl stirred and then she opened her eyes. 

“Miss… Asuka?” she muttered weakly. 

Asuka let out a sigh of relief. Rei still recognised her, so her memory worked at least to some point. 

“Do you know where you are and what you were doing here?” 

“Martin…” 

She blinked, surprised by the answer and even more by the pained look which flashed over Rei’s face. 

“I still remember him. Something… Something must’ve gone wrong…” 

“Rei!” Asuka seized her shoulders and shook her, but the girl’s eyes refused to focus on her again. 

“Something went wrong. I have to…” 

Rei tried to sit up, but suddenly she froze when she noticed the broken remains of the helmet beside her. 

“No… No! This can’t…” Suddenly her eyes flicked back to Asuka and she gave her an angry glare. “You… You did this…” 

“Yes”, Asuka confirmed with a nod. “Do you have any idea what you were doing to yourself? You were about to erase your own memories.” 

“Of course I knew!” Rei shouted and pushed her away, crawling backwards like a cornered cat. 

Cold realisation struck Asuka’s mind and her breath caught for a moment. “So, you really wanted to erase your memories on purpose? But, Rei… just forgetting everything isn’t going to solve your problems and…” 

“Oh yeah?” Rei interrupted her, bitterness flashing in her eyes. “How would you know? What do you know about me?” 

Asuka was about to answer, but then something made her hesitate. That look in Rei’s eyes… She wanted to tell her how it felt like to have lost one’s memories about someone, just like she had about her brother, but… the girl’s look wiped away her conviction. It was the same look Hitomi had when she was haunted by her memories. So desperate. And… helpless. 

“Miss Asuka”, Rei muttered, cracking a bleak smile. “Say, do you understand how I feel? Do you understand what it is like when your greatest wish is to forget everything?” 

Asuka ducked her head. No, she had never thought about that. 

“I… I pretended to be strong”, Rei whispered, gazing up at the ceiling, her eyes shimmering with tears. “I pretended I could endure it. This feeling. But… I… I realised that I am weak. I cannot hold on any longer. I am tired. I am worn out. I can’t go on, unless… unless I rip those memories out of my mind!” 

She was glaring at her, angrily waiting for an answer. Asuka could feel how she was suffering beneath that mask of anger. It was a suffering which couldn’t be eased by words alone. And yet… she couldn’t… she couldn’t say nothing. 

“Rei”, she began tentatively and reached for the girl’s wrist. “You… You aren’t weak. I do not know what has happened to you, but… I have the feeling it was something too hard for one alone to endure.” 

“Stop it…” 

“It doesn’t make you weak to be unable to handle it on your own. But if you share your pain with someone else, that could make it a little easier for y-”

“Stop it!” 

Asuka stared at her, shocked by the hatred which had rung in Rei’s words. 

“Is this supposed to be another of your speeches about how teamwork and comradeship solve everything? What a joke! If people get too attached, they only end up hurting each other. Martin… he made that mistake. If he hadn’t tried to get close to me… he wouldn’t have died.” 

Asuka’s heart missed a beat. Had she just said ‘died’? 

Rei swallowed hardly and a single tear escaped her eye and began to run down her cheek. 

“I… I’ve chosen to walk my path alone and with just my own strength. You have no right to interfere with that. So, please, quit forcing your stupid beliefs on me.” 

It would’ve shaken her to hear those words being shouted hat her, but the calm, quiet sound of Rei’s voice made them even harder to endure. Involuntarily Asuka had to think of back then when Mr Sakaki had first showed her how to duel for the purpose of having fun and not merely to achieve victory. Only back then there had been something else to replace her shattering beliefs. Now though, for the first time in forever she felt as though someone had pulled the very ground from under her feet. She didn’t know what to say. She didn’t know if there even was a way to comfort Rei without hurting her further. The poor girl looked awful… as though she was hardly more than a ghost anymore. 

“Crap”, Rei muttered weakly. “When I saw those who had lost their will to live on and just shut themselves in their rooms, I always thought how pathetic they were. How ironic. Now I am just like them. I don’t have any strength left to go on.” 

After a moment of silence Asuka felt a sudden burn on her palm. Rei seemed as surprised as her and slowly she looked back at her, a red mark appearing on her cheek, taking the shape of Asuka’s hand. 

“Don’t talk like that”, Asuka whispered. “You are still young, Rei. Don’t talk like your life is already over.” 

Rei stared at her for another second before she cast down her eyes. “And what… what am I supposed to do? What kind of future is left for the likes of me? A vain struggle for redemption that will never come?” 

Asuka remained silent for a moment. She had always thought of Rei as a talented and strong-willed girl and despite her tendency to break school rules she had developed a liking for her. Hearing her talk so disheartened now hurt more than feeling her frail body beneath her. 

“Redemption, you say?” she muttered. “Do you think of yourself as someone who can only live to be redeemed for what they did in the past?” 

She let her gaze wander over the machines which filled this room and her mood plummeted for a moment. 

“I believe there is more to you than that, Rei. I am certain that everyone has something worth going forward for. You may not know what it is yet, but if you don’t even start trying, you’ll never find out.” 

She let out a weak sigh and looked back at Rei. “Do you know what this room here is? Those machines here have made a lot of people suffer, in one way or another. And yet, they are still here, because I believe there is a way to use them in order to help people. I want to make Academia a real school, one which doesn’t have to make up for the sins of the past, but is able to give its students a fertile ground to grow on. Say, don’t you want to be part of that too?” 

Rei stared at her. Then she cracked a tentative smile. 

“Academia is never going to become like that.” 

Asuka started at the hard sound of that voice and both she and Rei turned and gazed at the man standing in the door. Asuka’s instincts told her to brace up for an attack, but after a moment she realised he wasn’t emitting any hostility and so she relaxed a little. 

“Fubuki…” 

On second glance she wondered if he really was the same person who had called out to her after the duel with Sora. His hair was much shorter now and reached only to his shoulders and although it still was messy, he looked like he had found an opportunity to wash himself. His face though… It was just as gaunt and pale as before. A face befitting a corpse rather than a living human. 

She shivered involuntarily. 

“Fubuki… huh?” he muttered. “So you don’t call me brother anymore.” 

His voice was surprisingly gentle and yet his words carried deep bitterness which pierced her like a knife. As though a faint and fragile hope had just been crushed. 

“I… I’m sorry”, she replied quietly. “But I don’t have any memories of you.” 

“I see. So Academia has taken that from us as well. Even the time we spent together…” There was a brief pause and then Fubuki took a step forward. “Asuka… Is it true you are heading Academia now?” 

She hesitated for a moment before she nodded, causing Fubuki’s expression to darken. 

“The Professor has torn us apart. He has destroyed our family. Why do you still follow in his footsteps?” 

Unsettled, Asuka bit the bottom of her lip. “You are wrong. I am not following him.” 

“Then disband Academia.” 

Her breath caught at the abruptness of his answer. His voice, already hard as flint, had grown a whole level colder. 

“The Professor’s beliefs… the crimes that have been done in the name of his _‘ideal’_ … As long as this institution exists, these things will stay alive in it. I have looked into the hearts of your students and they carry the same dark cruelty, the same malice the Professor has planted into their heads. If you really care for them, then free them of this curse. Free them of the lingering malevolence which chains them down.” 

_Cruelty… Malevolence…_ The words echoed throughout her mind, reminding her of how things had been under the Professor, of how _she_ had been. She had done things she wasn’t proud of as well. She had hurt other students, thinking it was okay, thinking it was the natural flow of things. After Hitomi had been carded and she had realised what it meant to suffer, she had regretted those things. In fact she still did. But… there had also been something beyond that which had allowed her to go on. 

“Is… Is that all you think of us?” she whispered, her voice shaking with controlled anger. “It may be the things the Professor taught us aren’t easy to overcome, but… Academia is changing. Even if they’re only minor changes up until now, I still feel hope when I watch them. When I see my students try to talk nicely to each other, try to spend their breaks together, try to make friends. What else could I demand of them than to try?!” 

“And you think that is enough? You think trying will allow you to achieve everything?” 

Asuka gasped. It was the second time Fubuki’s words cut through her reasoning like a razor. As though he knew exactly how she thought. 

“You are too naïve, Asuka. The very nature of things doesn’t change if you only try hard enough. Just like you will always be my sister and I will never stop caring for you, Academia will always stay the same accursed pit of human scum it is. No matter how much you try to polish up its front, the rotten core is something you’ll never be able to change. Instead of clinging to something like that, your students should go home, to their friends, their families… to the people who could remind them that they’re more than simple soldiers to send off into war.” 

“And what about those who don’t have a home or a family to return to?” Asuka asked glumly. “Like… Like us?” 

Now it was his turn to stare at her, thrown off track by her words. “What… What do you mean by that?” 

Asuka lowered her head as the sad memories filled her mind. The call she had received in the middle of class… Her almost unreal passage to the mainland… She had hardly perceived anything that had happened around her. That was, until she had seen those two bags in front of her. Until she had realised it hadn’t been a dream she could just wake up from and everything would be alright. 

“Our parents”, she began quietly. “They… They died in a car accident, six years ago. The driver of the truck which came their way didn’t pay attention and wasn’t able to brake in time.” 

She felt Rei tensing up next to her and when she turned to her, she met the girl’s shocked stare. For some reason a weak smile tugged at her lips. Condolence was the last thing she had expected from her at this moment. 

“That… That isn’t true”, Fubuki said, his breath going heavy. “They’ve messed with your memory. It’s only what you believe. Mom and Dad can’t be…” 

“It is true, Fubuki”, she replied firmly. “I have seen their corpses. The accident has even been reported in the newspaper. Our parents are dead. That’s fact.” 

She noticed she had gotten louder than she had meant to, but it had been necessary in order to make him acknowledge what she was saying was true. Although the past few days had made her somewhat careful to trust her memories, the death of her parents was something she was sure of. She remembered the countless nights she had spent crying, silently and alone in her room so none of her classmates would notice. She felt it even now, that sharp stab of sorrow when she thought of them. 

“I know this is sudden”, she continued softer. “And I didn’t want to tell you like this, but… there’s nothing we can do about it. We have to accept they are gone.” She paused for a moment, hesitating. “I… If you need me, I can…” 

“No!” 

He had shouted that one word with so much force she involuntarily backed away. As if it had turned into a wild beast which tried to bite her. 

“I don’t need your help. I don’t need your sympathy. I’m not a little boy who needs to be comforted.” Although he was panting heavily, his eyes glowed with an inner fire, a sparkling defiance Asuka had seen more than once when she had looked into the mirror. “It may be we don’t have a home anymore, but this place can’t be home to me either. Not with all the agony I have gone through. The very existence of this institution is an inacceptable error.” 

“Why, Fubuki?” she asked. “What have they done to you?” 

Asuka regretted her question the moment she watched the smirk which grew over his face, predatory, wild and completely devoid of amusement. 

“You want to know?” he asked grimly. “I was placed under the care of the Doktor for eight long years. I’ve spent half my life locked inside a dark prison cell, only kept alive to be used in his experiments. Until two days ago I had forgotten nearly everything about the world outside. I have been through a hell which was far worse than what has happened to Xyz and I didn’t think there’d ever be an end to it. That was my reality up until now.” 

He took a deep breath before he met her eyes again. “Now tell me, can you imagine how I feel? Asuka?”

  


* * *

  


Darkness was around him, darkness and cold. The same cold as always. The Professor had really known what he did when he had constructed this prison intended to host the fragments of the demon. In the end it had never been put to use, at least not until he had been brought here, but he couldn’t help but acknowledge the great care it had been made with. No one would be able to escape from here. Not without having taken measures beforehand. 

He shifted a little on his sore knees, flinched when a stab of pain flashed through his ribs, and rested his back against the wall again. Taking in a deep breath, he closed his eyes and listened to the faint whispers which reached his mind rather than his ears. They were muffled and immature as of yet and it was hard to make any sense out of them, but he hardly cared about that. It was satisfying enough for him to know that their time was going to come. 

Suddenly he twitched when a familiar voice reached him, stirring up memories, of hours and hours he had spent dedicated to the most wonderful part of his research, and he gave out a deep sigh of delight. His shoulders began to tremble and after a few seconds silent laughter burst out of him. 

Not long… 

  


* * *

  


_Interlude: Road to Despair_

  


_Voices are whispering inside my head, faintly, as though they are coming through layers of thick walls. The floor is shaking from occasional explosions in the distance, though not as much as the small hand which is clenching my arm._

_“Don’t worry, Asuka”, I mutter comfortingly and pull her head against me so she doesn’t look out of the window. So she doesn’t see the flames which are licking over the roofs, doesn’t hear the screams which ring throughout the streets. “Don’t worry. I’ll protect you.”_

_Asuka shivers and her fingers curl tightly around my hand. Then I hear a dull noise and raise my head, just in time to notice the cracks which are running through the ceiling before it comes crashing down._

_Coughing heavily, I turns around and squint at the two shapes which form in the dust._

_H-Huh?! No way! Mom and Dad! They’re…_

_I freeze when the dust settles enough for me to see their clothes, soaked with blood. With so, so much blood…_

_“Fubuki”, Mom whispers before she drops to her knees. Dad follows a moment later, his eyes empty and lifeless. Behind them I see more people, grinning gleefully. Small orbs of light are floating around the shapes which float above their heads._

_Xyz scum!_

_Slowly I gets to my feet. Anger fills out my entire mind as I activate my Duel Disk. I want to destroy them. Each and every one!_

_One of them takes a step forward, but instead of challenging me he only raises his finger. Following it, I turn around and all of a sudden my body locks up._

_Asuka lies in front of me, blood streaming over her face._

_No… No, this… this can’t be! She’s been with me the whole time. I… I made sure she didn’t get hurt! She can’t be…_

_But no. When I feel for her wrist, there is no beating of her little heart. When I looks at her chest, there is no rise and fall, no breath going in and out of her lungs._

_Bastards… Bastards… “Bastards!!”_

_My face twists with fury as I whip around, ready to kill that Xyz scum. A shadow falls on me as_ Red-Eyes _spreads his wings and gives out a raging howl, and suddenly I can’t help but laugh._

_“Is that the best you can do,_ Doktor _?”_

_The scenery faded and I was back inside the Doktor’s lab, the place which had taught me what real horror was._

_“Hmm… So even that doesn’t work on you. You really are an interesting case, my dear boy.”_

_“Tch! As if anyone would fall for your cheap fake memories. None of us will forget that you are the one we are going to kill.”_

_“Is that so?” The Doktor gave me a mildly amused look. “I think you’re a little too complacent. Alright. The experiment’s over. Bring him next door for now.”_

_The clasps which had fixated me on the steel table snapped open and hands grabbed me, pulled me to my feet._

_“Have a nice rest”, the Doktor said with a smirk, a smirk which felt even more disgusting than usual. However, right now I didn’t have the strength to focus on that sensation. I refused to show it, but those experiments always left me exhausted, physically and mentally. I was sure the Doktor knew, but my defiance was the only thing which allowed me to stay sane. My defiance and my will to see Asuka again. Yes… For her smile I was going to endure this hell._

_“In there”, an unfriendly voice bellowed and I staggered through the door of the waiting room, just before it was slammed shut behind me. After a moment I noticed I wasn’t alone._

_“Sh-Sho? Is that you?”_

_Cracking a relieved smile, I tottered forward, towards the corner where Sho was sitting. Though… something… seemed wrong about him. He was just sitting there, blankly staring at the wall in front of him. And at nothing at all. As if he hadn’t heard my voice._

_“Hey, Sho. Is… Is everything okay with you?”_

_When the boy still didn’t respond, I felt a lump in my throat. “Sho! What’s wrong with you?! What did they do?!”_

_Finally Sho raised his head a little and turned to me._

_“Who… are you?”_

_I froze. I wasn’t able to move, wasn’t able to do anything but stare at the boy in front of me._

_“What… What do you mean, Sho? You can’t have forgotten about me, can you? Answer me, Sho!”_

_Sho gazed at me and then he blinked. Unbelievably slowly._

_“Sho? Who is that?”_

_My hand dropped. It was no act, I realised, no trick to unsettle me. I could see it in Sho’s eyes. The boy wasn’t looking at me, nor at anything else. He was just staring, blankly, without seeing, without perceiving anything. His gaze, his mind, was empty._

_Empty… Empty… Empty…_

  


* * *

  


Asuka gulped. She had read the reports about the Doktor’s experiments. While the detailed notes about the progress were enough to make one’s stomach turn, the truly sickening aspect was the complete lack of test subjects. There must’ve been dozens of humans used, but there was not a trace of who could’ve served as such or what had happened to them. At least not until Daichi had found those student files in the archive. The Doktor had erased them from the memories of everyone who could’ve come to search for the missing kids. And that… included herself. 

She nodded tentatively, unable to bring out a word. After a moment the hardness in Fubuki’s eyes faded a little. “So you do know. But I am not the only one who hates Academia, am I? What about the people from Xyz who lost their homes, their friends, their families? Don’t you think they want to see Academia in ruins as well? Tell me, how can you still defend something like that?” 

“I… I don’t defend it”, she muttered shamefaced. “I understand your hatred and you’re right with it. But… I can’t do what you ask of me. I know the Professor – no – all of us have done terrible things in the past. But I refuse to believe that is all there is.” 

She remembered the words Edo had said to her before he had left for Heartland in order to help with the reconstruction. 

_We have no right to live for ourselves anymore. Not before we’ve done everything we can to make up for the havoc we caused._

“We have a long way to go. And it may be arrogant of me to say this, but I want to turn Academia into something which is worth to exist.” 

“And you think you can do that?” 

Fubuki’s voice had grown cold once more and his eyes shimmered with a dark, terrifying lustre. She had thought she was never going to doubt her conviction, her resolve to reform Academia again, and yet, now that she was forced to meet his glare, she couldn’t help but notice how hollow they sounded all of a sudden. Hollow and self-gratifying. 

“I… I do”, she muttered, trying not to let his piercing eyes get to her. 

“You’re lying”, Fubuki stated calmly. “Not to me, but to yourself. I never thought you’d sink this low, Asuka.” 

“And what would you know about that?!” she asked with sudden anger. 

“I know everything about it.” 

His answer had come so quickly Asuka wondered once more whether he could’ve read her mind. 

“I told you, people do not change that easily. That applies to us as well as the students you’re trying to shield. The beliefs the Professor has planted into their heads are going to control them for a very long time. Most of them will never be able to cast off that yoke. Even if they have realised, they have already suffered damage beyond healing.” 

Tears welled up in Asuka’s eyes, ran down her cheeks and dripped down onto her arms. “You’re wrong”, she whispered. “No, you’re wrong. Humans do change. I’ve been following the Professor just as blindly as everyone else. But Hitomi… She opened my eyes and made me see what a horrible mistake I was about to make. If I can change, then doesn’t that mean everyone else has a chance to change too?” 

“Hmm… Yes, that’s true. But did you change?” 

She started, fear clutching her heard. “What…?” 

“Did you really change, Asuka?” Fubuki asked, his voice cutting effortlessly through the walls of confidence she had built up around her mind. “Or… do you merely try to make yourself believe you have changed?” 

After a second, Asuka silently ducked her head. Had she… really changed? Now that she was confronted with this question, she wasn’t sure anymore. Rei had said it as well. She was just doing the same things the Professor had done. The same way he had taught her. 

“I…” 

Crap! Just how? How was he able to tell? How did he know about the doubts she wasn’t even willing to admit to herself? 

_That’s because he’s your brother_ , part of her whispered. _He knows you inside out._

Yes, maybe that was true. There was hardly any doubt left about that. 

“I…” 

Although her mouth moved, she wasn’t able to bring out another word. Not while she wasn’t sure if he was right with what he had said. 

Fubuki’s gaze softened a little, but it still expressed a harshness that made her feel uncomfortably bare. “Asuka… I don’t condemn you for running away. But what you are trying to do is bound to end in failure. It might cause a lot more harm than you think. Give up on it and disband Academia. That’s the only right thing to do.” 

The only right thing to do… Asuka glanced down at her palm. Was that true? Was she going to cause people to suffer if she followed her ideals? Just… Just like the Professor had? Was she really like him? 

Hitomi… 

“What… What are you talking about?!” 

Surprised she turned to Rei. The girl still looked exhausted, but the anger glowing in her eyes had given her the strength to sit up and pierce Fubuki with a furious glare. 

“You say that disbanding Academia is the only right thing to do? That’s nonsense! I am Academia. Miss Asuka is Academia. The Professor or whoever has nothing to do with it. We are here because we have decided so. And we will also decide ourselves how we want to change.” 

“What a simple way to put it. But say, have you really understood what all of this is about?” 

A spark of hesitation flickered over Rei’s face, but it quickly gave way to further defiance. “Well… not exactly. But if you want to take down Academia, I’m going to stop you. And then you’ll have to duel me, whether you want it or not.” 

A smile curved Asuka’s lips. Rei’s words had managed to wake her up. “You’re right”, she muttered before she turned back to Fubuki. “I’ve been saved, first by Hitomi and then by Mr Sakaki. I was lucky, but there are many who weren’t. Disbanding Academia would be like leaving all of them to their fate. I’m sorry, Fubuki. But if you continue to harm those who are under my care, I’ll be your opponent as well.” 

There was a long moment of silence and Asuka felt the tension building up between her and her brother. Then, for just the blink of an eye, a faint smile played around Fubuki’s lips. 

“You’ve become bolder, sister. Fine. If you are that confident, I will leave you and your students alone. But… there’s one thing I ask of you in return.” His face grew hard and his eyes narrowed menacingly. “The Doktor. Surrender him to me.” 

Suddenly Asuka’s throat felt very dry. The Doktor… How did Fubuki know he was here? No, she mustn’t think about that right now. 

“And what… what do you want with him?” 

“That is obvious”, he said in a low voice. “A man like him has no right to stay alive. I will not be able to find any rest before I’ve erased him from this world.” 

She gulped. “But…” 

With flowing coat Fubuki turned on the spot, silencing her with his glare. 

“This is the only concession I will make. You have two days. Hand him over to me. Otherwise I will crush everyone affiliated with Academia.” 

Asuka couldn’t help but stare after him as he left the lab. During the conversation she had gotten more and more the feeling he really was her brother, but… those last words… For a moment she had wondered whether he even was a human. What had he been through to have developed such overwhelmingly sinister hatred? 

“Hey, wait”, Rei hissed weakly and Asuka snapped out of her paralysis just in time to catch the girl before she fell from her cot. 

“Easy, Rei! You shouldn’t move already.” 

“No… I have to…” Rei reached out for him, tried to free herself from Asuka’s grip, but she was too shaky. The near memory erasement had drained most of her strength. 

Asuka was able to understand her though. If her legs hadn’t frozen under that dark, glacial look, she would’ve run after him too. Maybe it was better this way, she thought as she considered Mrs Ayukawa on the floor. If she had followed Fubuki, no one would’ve been left to take care of them. 

This wasn’t good. Somehow she needed to get both of them to the infirmary, but Mrs Ayukawa was still unconscious and Rei was in no condition to walk either. Leaving one of them alone here was not an option. It appeared there was no other way but to call for help. 

She had already taken out her Duel Disk when suddenly she heard quick footsteps in the corridor. 

“Asuka!” a bright voice shouted and then Sora came skidding to a stop in front of the open door. His green eyes sparkled with anger, but Asuka was nevertheless glad to see him. “There you are, Asuka! I really need to have a talk with-” He froze when he noticed Mrs Ayukawa and Rei. 

“Rei? Wh-What happened here?! What about your brother, Asu-”

“I’ll explain later. Right now we have to bring them to the infirmary as quick as possible.” 

Sora hesitated for half a second before he nodded. “Okay. Rei? We’re going to walk to the infirmary now. Come. I’ll support you.” 

As Sora helped up the reluctant girl, Asuka turned to the unconscious woman and heaved her onto her shoulders. She was a little heavier than expected. Or maybe Asuka had gotten weaker during the last year. Her new job left her few time for proper physical training. She really should pay more attention to that from now on. 

“Don’t worry. I’ll get you away from here”, she muttered, giving Mrs Ayukawa a positive smile. And Fubuki’s ultimatum was something she’d think about after that. 


	10. A Step Forward

_“Asuka! Asuka! Wake up! We need to go!”_

_“B-Brother? What…?” she began, still drowsy from sleep, but also startled by Fubuki’s alarmed voice._

_“Quick! Get up. We need to leave.”_

_He opened her wardrobe, briefly scanned through it and took out a warm jacket._

_“Wh-What? Where? Why? Brother, what’s going on?”_

_For some reason she was glad to see him again after he had left for Academia four months ago, but there was something very wrong with her brother. Despite the very urgent tone his voice was hushed, as if he didn’t want to be heard by anyone, and there was an alert, almost… almost haunted look in his eyes._

_“I’m sorry, Asuka”, he said and a brief smile flashed over his lips. “But I don’t have time for explanations right now. All I can tell you is that we have to go as quickly as possible.”_

_She held his gaze for a second. Then she nodded and got up. Relieved, Fubuki smiled and helped her into the jacket before he grabbed her wrist and pulled her into the corridor towards the hallway._

_“Ouch. Brother, you’re hurting me.”_

_Suddenly he stopped, so abruptly Asuka ran into his back. “Shh! Quiet, Asuka. We mustn’t be noticed by anyone.”_

_Tears welled up in her eyes as she looked at him. “What… What about Mom and Dad?” she snivelled. “Why do we have to go all of a sudden? What’s this all about? You’re acting weird, brother.”_

_Fubuki took a deep breath and turned to her. Asuka gazed into his eyes. They looked… warm and reassuring._

_“I… I’m sorry, Asuka. Mom and Dad won’t come along this time. I don’t have the time to explain now, but…” He reached out and stroked over her hair. “Please trust me. We have to go.”_

_“Brother? What are you saying? I… No! I don’t want to leave! I’m scared!”_

_“Asuka…” he began gingerly but he was interrupted by a loud, thundering noise and both of them froze._

_It was coming from the front door. Someone was hammering against it in the familiar style of the Juvenile Officers. She was about to go and answer when Fubuki’s hand snapped around her wrist, so hard that it hurt. He raised one finger to his lips and silently shook his head._

_“It’s useless to run, kid. We know you’re in there”, the loud voice of a man said from outside._

_“Quick, the backdoor”, Fubuki muttered and gave her a gentle push in that direction, but Asuka didn’t move. She didn’t understand. The officers had always been friendly to her. Why were they looking for her brother? Why was he even here? He should be at Academia right now. Could it be had had done something bad?_

_There was another knock. “Come on, kid. You can’t escape. Now open this door and come out. I won’t ask a third time.”_

_Fubuki’s gaze flicked from the door to her and panic flashed in his eyes as he grabbed her shoulders._

_“Please, Asuka. You must never go to that place. You have to remember that. And now-”_

_There was a deafening, cracking sound and the door flew open and crashed against the wall. Quickly Fubuki whipped around and brought himself between her and the three officers in their proud, white uniforms who entered._

_“Run, Asuka!” he shouted. “You need to run!”_

_Asuka heard him and she wanted to, but her legs didn’t move. Fear was surging through her, mingling with the confusion inside her mind. She couldn’t help but stare at the men who approached them as casually as they normally did when Asuka met one of them on the street. This time however there was something scary about it and the way the three of them grinned._

_The first man stepped forward and grabbed Fubuki’s wrist. He gave out a growl and tried to punch the man into the face, but the taller man simply laughed as he caught his fist. There was an unnaturally loud crack and then Fubuki screamed in pain._

_“Asuka! If you don’t run now, they’ll turn you into one of them as well!”_

_His voice pulled her at least partially out of her paralysis, but she couldn’t turn away. Her brother… These men were hurting him._

_“No, I… I don’t want to! Brother!”_

_She tried to run to him, but suddenly there was another man on her left and before she realised what was going on he had twisted her arm on her back. Pain flashed through her shoulder and she screamed. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she looked at Fubuki. To her surprise the man who had held him gave out a howl and Fubuki managed to break free and attempted to get to her until the officer grabbed him again, this time making sure Fubuki wasn’t able to bite him again._

_Another streak of pain flashed through her arm and she screamed again._

_“Asuka!” she heard Fubuki shout enraged as a veil of haziness enveloped her. “You damn bastards! Let go of her! Asuka!!”_

_The three officers merely laughed in response and it was a dull, scornful sound which slowly faded away, along with Fubuki who continued to shout her name._

Someone shook her, gently at first and then a little firmer. 

“No… Brother, I…” 

“Asuka?” 

Confused, she raised one lid. That wasn’t the voice of her brother. And she wasn’t home either. After a second a face peeled out of the blur above her. 

“Huh? Hitomi? What…?” 

“You’ve groaned in sleep”, the girl explained, her eyes shimmering with soft worry. 

“Oh”, Asuka muttered drowsily. “I see. Sorry.” 

She raised one hand to her forehead and brushed away the strand of hair that had fallen over her face. What was this? A nightmare? Or… a memory? 

She didn’t know. But right now she was too sleepy to think about it. 

“I didn’t mean to wake you up”, she said. 

It was rare to see Hitomi smile nowadays and every time made Asuka feel like she had just received a tiny piece of heaven. “You didn’t.” 

Asuka reached for her hand. It was warm and Hitomi started a little at the unexpected touch before she entwined her fingers with Asuka’s. 

“You couldn’t sleep?” she asked, unable to banish her concern from her voice although she knew her friend didn’t want to hear it. 

Hitomi shook her head. “No, that’s not it.” She turned her head and Asuka followed her gaze to the stack of cards which rested on the small bedside table. “I’ve been preparing for the examination. I don’t want it to end like last time.” 

A brief smile flashed over her face as she met Asuka’s bewildered look and she cast down her eyes. “Silly, isn’t it? This test is about being able to handle things you can’t prepare for. And I…” 

“No. No”, Asuka stopped her. “I’m just surprised you want to take this exam. After what happened…” 

A shadow moved over Hitomi’s face. “I… I don’t want to be useless any longer.” Her voice was hardly more than a whisper and her hand began to shake a little, as if she was trying to fight down her tears. “Ever since I’ve been freed, I’ve done nothing but run away, lock myself up in my room and watch the days pass by with a blanket pulled over my head. That needs to stop. I don’t want to be a bother to everyone.” Her eyes met Asuka’s and her lips twitched, showing the faintest hint of a smile. 

“Oh Hitomi”, Asuka muttered and brushed her thumb over Hitomi’s hand. “You could never be a bother to me. I’m sure you’ll make it this time.” 

The exam… It was going to take place tomorrow, matching the end of the literal deadline Fubuki had set. 

Asuka wasn’t sure what to do yet. She could understand his motives. The Doktor had been his torturer for eight years. It was only natural to demand his death. And if it was for the well-being of her students, it wouldn’t be a bad thing to give up on him, right? This world would be a better place without him. And yet. And yet, for some reason she felt reluctant to agree to Fubuki’s demand. 

“Hey, Hitomi”, she began, but when she tried to continue, her tongue seemed to lock up. Was it right to bother Hitomi with this? She had already more than enough things to worry about. “Nothing”, she said with a shake of her head. “I’ll keep my fingers crossed for you. You can do it.” 

To her surprise she noticed she was serious about what she said. Despite her own insecurity, despite the shadow of doubt Fubuki’s words had left on her mind, she was convinced her friend would do it. 

“Thank you, Asuka”, Hitomi muttered gently. “You’re the best.” 

Asuka smiled and sank back on her pillow. “Alright. But make sure you get enough sleep tomorrow.” 

“And that coming from you, Miss Workaholic?” Hitomi replied teasingly before she turned back to her cards. 

It was so relieving to have her by her side and to be able to talk to her every day. When she thought back to the months Hitomi had spent as a card in Asuka’s pocket, her stomach convulsed. Nobody deserved a fate like that. Nobody. 

  


* * *

  


With a huge blast the _Antique Gear Golem_ in front of her crumbled in the flames of her _Megamorph_ -equipped _Reactor Dragon_ and the Ra Yellow’s Life Points dropped to zero. 

Normally Rei would’ve felt triumphant about it, a little at least. But not today. 

_“The Professor’s beliefs… the crimes that have been done in the name of his ‘ideal’… As long as this institution exists, these things will stay alive in it.”_

She hardly perceived her opponent leave the arena, supported by one of his friends – or what he regarded as such. Slowly her gaze wandered down to her deck. _Antique Gear_ … The archetype nearly every student here had used. It had been proof of their membership, of their bond to Academia. 

Lately a lot of them had switched to different, more personal decks, but there were still many who preferred to stay with the cards and strategies they were used to. 

_“No matter how much you try to polish up its front, the rotten core is something you’ll never be able to change. Instead of clinging to something like that, your students should go home, to their friends, their families… to the people who could remind them that they’re more than simple soldiers to send off into war.”_

Yes. Until now Rei had believed it had been her own decision, her own will to use this deck, a unique part of her identity. But… maybe that was wrong. Maybe she really was… _clinging_ to it, afraid to let go of her old habits and familiar thoughts and try something new. Maybe that was what Miss Asuka had tried to say when she had encouraged them to find their own way. 

Rei wished she would’ve understood that sooner. 

_“If you forget to have fun, then you might one day wake up and realise your childhood days are over before you’ve started to enjoy them.”_ That’s what Shiu – Sora had said. 

Slowly she raised her eyes to the sun which shone overhead, though none of its warmth seemed to reach the ground, blocked out by a shroud of frost. Was it too late? Had she already reached that point? 

Well… She certainly didn’t feel like a child anymore. And her life up until now hadn’t been very enjoyable. 

She watched a pair of gulls gliding over the wall of the arena, passing just beneath the sun before a gust made them drift off a little, but they managed to catch themselves and flapped over the other wall and out of sight. Anger and bitterness rose up inside her and she clutched her deck so tightly she wouldn’t have been surprised if the cards had kinked. 

Have fun, huh? How could she? How could she have fun when every time she picked up her Duel Disk reminded her of Martin’s shocked face right before she had turned away? Right before… she had left him to die. 

No. She wouldn’t be able to have fun simply because she tried to. Miss Asuka’s brother was right. Humans didn’t change that easily. But… his words had angered her as well. Even though she didn’t know what had happened to him, even though she didn’t know why she was still here, there was one thing she knew for sure, and that was the fact she was Academia. Someone who wanted to destroy it was without a doubt her enemy. 

Yes. If she was going to follow Martin, she’d do it after she had defeated him. 

  


* * *

  


When Sora came into Asuka’s office, he found her sound asleep in her chair, head resting on her desk. He supposed she had spent a considerable part of the night here. Again. 

Seriously, if this went on, he’d need to put a guard in front of her room. 

He stepped closer and his gaze fell on the documents Asuka had fallen asleep over: The report he and the honour students had made after they had examined the Doktor’s laboratory and a stack of files, apparently about students, though Sora had never seen or heard about any of the names. Apart from one which was resting slightly away from the others. That name was more than familiar to him now. 

It wasn’t hard to put the pieces together. 

“Hey. Hey, Asuka”, he said, shaking her gently. 

With a groan she raised her head from the desk and blinked at him for a moment before she recognised him. 

“Oh. Sora. What’s up?” 

She glanced down at the files which were spread out in front of her and stiffened up subtly. 

“I guess that’s a question I should ask you”, he replied. 

She held his gaze for a few seconds before she let out a sigh. “When I talked to him, he asked me a question which has been bothering me ever since. He asked if I was able to imagine how he feels.” 

“And?” 

Asuka hesitated for a second and sorrow flashed over her features, a deep, sympathetic kind of sadness. 

“Well… I said that I did, but… to be honest, I don’t understand the least about that. I mean… how could I? How could I understand his terror and his loneliness without being through the same things he has? He… He must’ve wished for an end to it. He must’ve wished for someone to come and save him. But… nobody ever came. Not even I.” 

“Hey, Asuka…” 

“As his sister it should’ve been my duty to worry about him, shouldn’t it? But… I didn’t do anything. I just forgot about him and carried on like nothing ever happened.” 

“That wasn’t your fault”, he tried to soothe her, causing her to give out a bitter laugh. 

“No, it wasn’t my fault. But to him that hardly matters. It’s fact that I never came although he never forgot about me. He must really hate me now.” 

Sora considered her for several seconds before he gave out a deep sigh. “If you keep thinking stuff like that, it’s no surprise you’re looking more and more like a zombie.” 

Asuka started and gave him an aghast stare. 

“Look, Asuka, I don’t think he hates you”, he said, taking his lollipop out of his mouth. “Your brother faced you twice now without trying to attack you. And… I have felt his hatred during our duel. Against me he didn’t hold back at all.” 

Awkwardly she ducked her head. “Yes, but… how can you be that sure?” 

“‘Cause I duelled him. There’s much more you can learn about a person in a duel than in a simple conversation. Didn’t Mr Sakaki teach you that?” 

Asuka blinked at him. “A duel”, she echoed quietly and her gaze grew somewhat distant for a moment. “Mabye… Maybe you’re right. I should stop worrying about that. At least for now.” 

Again Sora sighed and cracked a relieved smile. “Alright. Then how about we have lunch? You still owe me a slice of chocolate cake.” 

“Wait… Lunch?” Asuka’s eyes flicked to the clock on the monitor in front of her and a depressed groan escaped her lungs. “Oh fuck. It’s that late already?” 

“Yes, it is”, Sora said. “If you didn’t work yourself through the nights, you’d be able to live during the day like you ought to. Now come. I’m hungry.” 

“Yeah, yeah”, she grumbled tiredly and pulled herself out of her chair. 

Goodness. If this went on, she wasn’t going to head this school for much longer. 

  


* * *

  


The cafeteria was rather empty and they had taken a small table in the back where none of the students would listen to them. 

It was always a pleasure to watch Sora eat, Asuka thought as she took a sip of her coffee. Although he usually seemed much more mature than his short stature suggested, being confronted with sweets made him return to the innocent kid he actually was. 

Innocent… Yes. If they hadn’t come to Academia, many of the students here would still be that, innocent young people looking forward to the future. There was no denying the Professor had robbed them of such an untroubled youth. And yet… it had happened already. Nobody was able to turn back time and start all over again. All they could do was decide what to do with the situation they had now. 

“Hey, Asuka… Don’t you like your cake?” Sora asked and Asuka noticed his plate was empty already. She on the other hand hadn’t taken a single bite yet. 

“You can have it if you want”, she said, sliding the plate over to him. 

“Really?! Thanks a lot!” 

Within less than a second Sora’s fork had disappeared in his mouth. A faint smile curved Asuka’s lips and she glance down at the dark surface of her coffee. Dark and inscrutable. Just like the shroud veiling her past. If only she’d remember a little more. 

“He concerns you, doesn’t he?” 

“Huh?” she asked, casting Sora a confused glance. 

“Your brother.” 

Sora’s fork slipped through the cake and after a second another piece of it vanished into his mouth. 

“Yes, of course he does. We haven’t come to an agreement yet. He still might cause a few problems. And…” Uncomfortably she twisted her fingers into the fabric of her jacket. “…if we are honest we don’t know anything about him. What guarantee do we have that he really is who he claims to be? And even if he believes he is my brother, what if those memories are fake? The Doktor told me that wasn’t possible, but what if that was a lie?” 

“It wasn’t.” 

Surprised, Asuka looked up. Sora was still chewing, but his face was serious. 

“What he said was the truth. And that guy _is_ your brother. I can say that much for certain.” 

“But… How can you be sure about that?” she asked, blinking at him. 

“Oh, that’s because I asked the Doktor about it.” 

“You… You asked him? But…” 

Despite the innocent look on his face, Asuka noticed a secretive spark inside Sora’s bright eyes, too faint to be noticed by anyone who didn’t know him well, and she understood. 

“No. Wait… I guess it’s better for me if I don’t know what you did.” 

Amusement flickered across his lips and he focused on the rest of his cake, swallowing it with two bites. “Don’t worry. He isn’t going to keep permanent injuries.” Then he lowered his gaze, and Asuka noticed it had grown pensive, even a little wistful. “I… I told Rei I am not glad about this side of my personality. I don’t want to find pleasure in hurting others. But… at the same time I am also unable to let go of it.” He paused for a moment and cracked a wry smile. “No. I am _unwilling_ to let go. As if rejecting it would mean rejecting part of myself as well.” 

Unsure what else to do, Asuka reached across the table and placed her hand on his. She had never seen him this pensive before, but… she had an idea of what he was talking about. He was just like Hitomi, unable to let go of what chained him down to his pain. 

“I… I don’t think you would be incomplete without this piece of you, Sora”, she said kindly. “There are so many good sides of you. If you’d just show them a little more to others, I’m sure you’d feel better with those sides as well. And maybe one day you’ll notice you don’t need that side of you anymore.” 

Sora stared at her for a long moment. Then he gave out a brief laugh. “Of course you’d say that”, he muttered and his expression turned thoughtful again. “But that’s exactly why you won’t be able to reach your brother.” 

Sudden pain clutched Asuka’s heart. For a second she saw Fubuki’s face in front of her, giving her that cold, menacing glare, and at the same time she heard his words, striking the cracks of her conviction which she had tried so hard to hide. 

“You’re afraid of the Professor’s heritage”, Sora said. “Destructive feelings like hatred, pride or enviousness. You think they are the cause of the fighting and suffering of the past. And in order to prevent things from ending up once more like they already did, you try to suppress the emergence of such feelings.” 

When he met her reluctant gaze, he leaned back on his chair and sighed. 

“Listen, I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with thinking like that, but destructiveness and resentments are part of the human nature. Ignoring them only makes you blind for those who harbour such feelings. If you aren’t able to understand how they feel, your beliefs will never reach them.” 

Asuka couldn’t help but stare at him. It was the first time she heard Sora talk like that and although she wanted to object, everything he said seemed to be right on the mark. Mr Sakaki had taught her to meet others with kindness, because that was the feeling which would spread happiness through the world. Asuka admired him for such a simple, pure ideal and that’s why she wanted to stay true to it. 

Had that… made her blind to how others, to how her students felt? 

Sora drew in a deep breath and lowered his gaze to the now empty plate. “You know, Asuka… I feel like we keep making the same mistakes over and over again. The Professor prevented us from developing the ability to question his teachings, so we would never become more than loyal soldiers to carry out his plans. He robbed us of something crucial and now many of us are suffering from that.” He paused and cast her a serious glance. “Has it ever occurred to you that we are not that different? We try to form the students after the image we think is right. Isn’t that the same as taking away their freedom?” 

“No, you’re wrong”, Asuka replied quietly. “We’re trying to teach them to meet others friendly in order to avoid causing any more conflict and hatred everywhere. I don’t want any of my students to experience another war. It’s for their own good.” 

Sora considered her for a few seconds before he averted his gaze. “For their own good? That sounds like what the Professor said when he ordered the invasion of Xyz.” 

Asuka’s breath caught. If anyone else had told her that, she might’ve gotten angry, but Sora… His voice hadn’t carried any sarcasm or scorn, only deep thoughtfulness. 

“There are so many ways that differ from ours, Asuka. What right do we have to say one of them is superior to another?” He ran one finger across his plate and plopped it into his mouth to eat the crumbs that stuck to it. This time his face didn’t brighten up though. 

“When I talked to Rei, I came to realise how limited my own way of thinking was. Teamwork and cooperation… engaging in a friendly kind of competition… I liked experiencing those things with Yuya and the others and that’s why I wanted to show them to others as well. But… that way of thinking might not be the right one for everyone here.” He raised his eyes and met Asuka’s gaze with a sincerity which surprised her. “Don’t you think it’d be fair to let them decide which way they want to take?” 

It was amazing, Asuka thought. To think he’d put so much thought into what they were doing and into the future of their students. He had changed a lot during the past few months. Behind his cheerfulness lay a maturity she hadn’t noticed before. Or… maybe it had always been part of him, one of the many parts he had refused to show to anyone. 

“You may be right. Maybe what I’m doing is wrong. I…” She drew in a deep breath. “I don’t know. Until now I’ve made all the decisions here alone. If someone else were to join me, then maybe…” 

After a moment Sora’s eyes turned wary. “Hey, hey… You’re not talking about me, are you?” 

She cracked an amused smile. “I know you don’t want to hear it, but you’d make for an excellent teacher, Sora. That’s something _I_ am sure of now.” 

“Oh, shut up.” 

She could see the embarrassed blush on his cheeks before he hid it by taking a long sip of his hot chocolate. 

She was really lucky to have a comrade and friend like him. A friend who was able to tell her exactly what she needed to hear. 

  


* * *

  


“…least that’s what everyone said.” 

“And you really don’t remember anything about the man who attacked you, Emma?” 

Emma shook her head. I’m sorry, no. All I remember is a shadowy figure.” 

Her classmates made a disappointed face. They were sitting around her sickbed, the place she had woken up this morning. She had been quite confused to find herself in the infirmary instead of her room at the Obelisk Blue dorm and even more when Mrs Ayukawa had told her she had slept for almost one week. Apparently she and Jacob had duelled someone, but Emma’s memory was too hazy to show her more than a few incoherent fractions of what had happened. The dark corridor to the dorm… Jacob whirling her around before kissing her lips… A shadow… And then… flames, hotter than anything she had felt before. 

She shivered and cast away these dark thoughts, plastering on a smile for her classmates. After all they had stopped by to visit her, although it was just to give her an update about all the gossip she had missed and to see whether they could learn something from her to add to the rumours. 

Suddenly the school bell rang and interrupted their conversation. 

“No way! It’s that late already? Sorry, Emma. We have to go.” 

“Don’t worry. We’ll come again tomorrow.” 

“And don’t get bored in here, okay?” 

“Yeah, I won’t”, Emma replied and looked after them as they walked out to their next lesson. Then she turned to the bed next to hers and her smile faded. 

Jacob… Unlike her he hadn’t woken up yet. Mrs Ayukawa had told her both of them had been in a life-threatening condition and it was a miracle she had regained her consciousness so quickly. Jacob would just need a while longer. 

She knew he was out of danger now, but nevertheless she couldn’t help but worry. What if he was never going to open his eyes again? What if he was always going to stay in that bed, more a corpse than a living human? What if she would never hear his voice again, damned to stand by his bedside, holding his warm hand, feeling the unchanging beating of his heart, but without being able to be with him? What if that kiss they had shared would stay their last one? 

Oh, Jacob… 

Seeing him in such a frail, vulnerable state made her feel cold, as if the blood in her chest had turned to solid ice. If only there was anything she could do for him. 

From the corner of her eye she caught a movement and turned towards the door. At once her mood plummeted. 

“What do you want here?” she asked, putting a sufficient amount of hostility into her voice. 

For a moment the Osiris girl hesitated in the door, but it was too late to leave unnoticed and so she stepped in. 

“So you have friends”, she muttered, stopping in front of her bed. 

Emma gave her a hard glare, but to her surprise the girl didn’t seem to take notice of it. “What… What do you mean by that?” she asked tentatively. 

The girl gazed at her for along moment before she answered. “Well… since you were so quick at abandoning your comrades, I thought you might be like me. But there are people who care about you. So that means you only dislike people like me who you think are inferior to you.” 

Emma snorted. “Hey, it’s not like those guys are my friends. They just happen to be my classmates. And from time to time they turn out to be useful. That’s why I hang out with them.” 

Slowly the girl nodded. “I see. So that’s how it is.” 

Emma didn’t know why, but her lack of expression was starting to get really annoying. 

“Hey, I don’t like being checked out, so if that’s all you came for, then leave. Talking to you makes my head ache.” 

The girl held her gaze for a few seconds and then, much to Emma’s surprise she lowered her head. “I came here to apologise”, she said. “During the exam I almost injured you and I’m sorry about that.” 

For a moment Emma wondered whether that girl was making fun of her, but… no. Her voice sounded too honest. Too upright. 

“H-Hey… stop that”, she muttered irritated and cast down her eyes. “I don’t-”

“Don’t get me wrong”, the girl interrupted her. “I am not saying what you did was right. First you made us dance to your pipe and then you abandoned the others as soon as you got in trouble. We were nothing but tools for you. I don’t think I’ll be able to forgive you for that, but… I kind of understand why you think that way.” 

She raised her head and her brown eyes stared at Emma, coldly, but without actual animosity. 

“I’ve come to realise you and I are not that different. We don’t want to let go of what the Professor and Instructor Sanders have taught us and believe that their ideals are most fit for us. That’s why I want you to know that I am not angry at you.” 

A few seconds of silence passed in which they gazed at each other. Then Emma wasn’t able to hold back the boiling anger that had built up inside her any longer. 

“Who do you think you are, Osiris brat?” she hissed. “I don’t need your forgiveness or your pity. A kid like you shouldn’t look down on an Obelisk Blue. You better know your place.” 

She gave the girl a sinister scowl, but the girl merely smiled back wryly. 

“We really aren’t that different”, she said and turned around. “Just focus on getting well again. Maybe… we can have a duel some day.” 

Emma blinked in bewilderment as the girl stepped out into the corridor. 

“H-Hey! Get back here!” she shouted as soon as she had regained her composure. “We aren’t done with each other yet! You damn Osiris brat!” 

Crap! Had she really gotten so low that a mere Osiris was belittling her? Her, an Obelisk Blue?! If her legs had healed already, she would’ve challenged that girl to a duel right on the spot. 

Crap! Crap! Crap! Such impudent kids had no right to be part of Academia. If only the Professor was still in charge. Then no one would’ve dared to speak so disrespectfully to them. 

Right. They were Obelisk Blues. No one… No one was allowed to make fun of them! No one! She’d make that girl regret every single cheeky word that had come out of her mouth. 

_“I’ve come to realise that you and I aren’t that different. We don’t want to let go of what the Professor and Instructor Sanders have taught us and believe that their ideals are most fit for us.”_

W-What? What was that? All of a sudden her anger had disappeared and she felt strangely empty. 

_Not that different_ … Could that be? Were they really… _alike_? 

No! No! No! Impossible! A mere Osiris Red could never be like her. 

Or… could she? 

Pensively Emma stared at her blanket. She remembered the look that girl had given her right before Emma had punched her gut. She remembered the defiance in her voice whenever she had reported to them. She remembered… the cold indifference in her eyes when she had declared her attack, regardless of the fact Emma was in the way. 

Back then she had felt it. The vast difference between them. She, a sixth-year Obelisk Blue, had felt inferior to a fourth-year Osiris Red. It was humiliating. And yet… it had also been… admirable. 

A tear escaped her eye and Emma ducked her head and quickly wiped over her cheeks. 

“Crap”, she whispered. 

  


* * *

  


_“Fubuki…”_

Sound cut through the ocean of darkness, voices he hardly remembered, invoking images of times he had nearly forgotten. 

_“Fubuki…”_

He could see them. The smiling faces of his parents, sitting on the couch across him. His Mom seemed to be happy, while his Dad showed a more earnest but proud expression. 

Right. It had been the day he had signed up for Academia. His scores at the entrance exam had even allowed him to start off as an Obelisk Blue. Of course they were proud of him. Just as proud as Asuka was when he told her about it. She had hugged him so fiercely she had nearly knocked him off his feet. 

_“Oh, brother! I knew you could do it!”_

He had laughed his kind, a little flattered laugh and patted her head. _“Seems you were right. Make sure you follow me when it’s your turn.”_

_“Aww. You know it’s two years until I’m old enough.”_

_“Oh? You’re right. I’ll send you a present for Christmas, okay?”_

_“Hey! That’s mean. Come in person, will you?!”_

Back then he had laughed at the sight of Asuka’s huffed face. Back then it had felt so natural, to tease her, to laugh together… to look forward to going to Academia. Surely their parents had believed it was a good thing to send them there. Just like everyone had. 

And now… they were dead. 

He was ready to accept it now. Neither Asuka nor the Professor had any reason to lie about it and there was nothing mysterious about a car accident either. Nothing to hide or to conceal. Just an ordinary, stupid accident. 

He wished he could’ve seen them one last time. He wondered whether they had missed him. Or had the Professor have their memories being altered as well? Had they forgotten about him entirely, just like Asuka? Had he been severed from them, vanishing without even leaving behind any emptiness? 

What a depressing thought. Even if he would’ve had the chance to meet them again, they wouldn’t have recognised him. He would’ve been a stranger to them, a young man who was raving like a madman, claiming to be their lost son. Probably it was better he hadn’t met them. 

They were dead. Now Asuka really was the only person left to him. And just like him, she was still chained to this demon pit called Academia, though her shackle was one that couldn’t be seen by the eye. 

“Asuka… I promise I’m going to save you. And I’ll make those pay who did this to us.” 

As if in response to his vow there was a rising hum and then the bright lamps flashed up, bathing the cavern in a glaring light. 

As his eyes adjusted to the sudden brightness, he felt the anger inside him recede, waiting for the moment he’d unleash it once more. The wait was over. Now he’d finally face his tormentor again, this time for the sole purpose of burning him to ash. 

  


* * *

  


Once again she was here, in a room filled with anxious nervousness, waiting for the gates to open and the examination to begin. 

They were only five this time. The two Obelisk Blues hadn’t returned from the hospital yet, meaning they’d be at a disadvantage compared to the other teams. To the others that fact was devastating. Rei could see it in their eyes. 

She in fact was glad they weren’t here. Although she had meant what she had said to Emma, she was still convinced their team was better off without them. This time she wouldn’t have to stay aside and watch as the others were defeated. 

“Hey, Rei”, Hitomi greeted her when she entered the room, completing their team. 

They had hardly seen each other in the past week. To be honest Rei was surprised to see her here. After seeing the distraught look on her face after her defeat, she had thought that Hitomi too had become one of those students who were hardly attending classes and never said a word when they were, struggling through the days with their heads held low. But it seemed she hadn’t lost the courage to pick up her deck yet. 

To her further surprise Rei noticed she was actually glad about that. Maybe it was because they had been working so close together last time. Maybe she had started to think of her as a comrade. 

“So, umm… What’s with the depressed mood?” Hitomi asked after casting a brief glance at the others. 

“Isn’t that obvious?” Rei muttered, following her gaze. “Our _Great Leaders_ aren’t here. That’s why they lost their courage. They believe without any Obelisk Blues in our team we have lost already.” 

Rei didn’t blame them. There had been a time when she had thought like that too. That time when she had aimed for becoming an Obelisk Blue herself. Before… 

“I see.” Hitomi’s hand curled into a fist and then she suddenly took a step forward. “Listen up everyone. Please”, she said loudly and Rei gave her a bewildered stare. “Umm… I know I might not be the right person to say this, but we shouldn’t give up before we got started. I-I mean, nothing’s been decided yet. Just because we are fewer than the others, that doesn’t mean we’re bound to lose.” 

“And what can we do?” one of the Ra Yellows asked. “The other teams have two or three Obelisk Blues each. We don’t stand a chance against them. It’s hopeless.” 

Hitomi ducked her head and Rei noticed she was biting her lip for a moment as a hint of pain flashed in her eyes. 

“I… I know how you feel. You think whatever you do, the end will be the same, so you can as well stay here and do nothing at all.” As she spoke, Hitomi’s voice started to tremble a little. “I’ve thought like that too. Last week, all I wanted to do was chuck it all in and hole myself up in my room.” She paused for a moment before she raised her gaze and looked right at the Ra Yellow. “I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t afraid. But still… I feel like this is the only way to step forward. For me, as well as for you.” 

Rei blinked, amazed. These words… If she was honest with herself, they sounded exactly like what she had been thinking all along. She had never thought there was someone else who felt like this. 

The boy gave out a snort and averted his eyes. “Step forward? And how do you think we can do that? We’re just a bunch of Osiris Reds and Ra Yellows. Last time at least we had two Obelisk Blues in our team as well. But now…” 

“And where did it get us?” Rei interrupted him angrily. “They just used you. As soon as they got in trouble, they ordered us to abandon you.” 

“If I recall correctly, you were the ones who carried out that order.” 

She and the boy glared at each other. After a moment she felt a gentle hand on her shoulder and turned to Hitomi who was giving both of them an appeasing look. 

“H-Hey, guys. We shouldn’t fight like this. We’re a team, remember?” 

“Oh, right. Worked out brilliantly last time”, the boy replied sarcastically. 

Rei was only half listening. The idea of fighting in a team still didn’t sit well with her. Especially if it was with teammates she didn’t care about. But… Right now fighting as a team was their best chance of winning. And that meant everyone needed to use their skills in a way which benefitted the team as much as possible. 

Suddenly her heard missed a beat. _In a way which benefitted the team_ … Yes. It was so easy. She felt like she finally understood what Sora had meant to tell her. Fighting in a team didn’t mean one had to give oneself up for the others. 

“Then why don’t we try to do things differently from last time?” she asked. 

The boy raised a brow. “What do you mean? We all should start discussing what strategy we pick? If we do that, we’re going to lose anyway.” 

Rei shook her head. “No, we need a leader. But we should decide together who is most qualified for that job.” 

“Oh, I see. In that case I’m going to vote for myself. After all I’m a decent duellist and I’ve got an A in tactical warfare. And besides that I know the strengths and weaknesses of my friends, so we’re going to work together well.” 

When he met Rei’s unchanged expression, he cracked a smirk. “What’s wrong? You disagree with me?” 

His slightly condescending look reminded Rei of how the Obelisks had looked at her, although it was still different from that. This boy was angry at how things had gone last time and she was merely the person he had decided to direct his frustration at. 

“You’re right”, she replied, ignoring his provoking tone. “I don’t think you should be our leader.” 

“Oh? Then tell us who would be suited.” 

“H-Hey, Taishi”, one of the other boys began quietly and grabbed his arm, but he simply shrugged him off. 

“Come on”, he said, barely hidden scorn ringing in his voice. “We’re waiting.” 

It was so easy to tell what was going on in his head. Why did boys always have to be such simpletons? 

“Alright”, she said. “The one I think is most suited to be our leader is Hitomi.” 

Baffled silence followed her words. The boy looked at her, dumbfounded, as his frustration was suddenly left without any target. 

“H-Huh?!” Hitomi asked surprised and gave her an appalled stare. “M-Me? But, Rei, I… I…” 

“H-Hey!” the Ra Yellow yelled at her in an attempt to regain control over the conversation. “You’re just saying that ‘cause she’s your friend.” 

“You’re wrong”, she replied immediately, making him back away a little. “Hitomi and I have just met last week. But I think she is the one who cares most about this team. When you and I were fighting just now, she stopped us. And don’t forget she’s tried to cheer you up.” 

Their teammates exchanged insecure glances. 

“Well, Taishi, she’s kinda right.” 

“I don’t mind her being the leader.” 

“I think she’ll be better than the Obelisk Blues.” 

At last even the Ra Yellow ducked his head. “Alright. Fine by me.” 

Rei allowed herself a faint smile. “Well, Hitomi? Looks like no one’s got any objections.” 

“Umm… But…” Hitomi began flustered. 

Suddenly a display on the wall flashed up and began to count down the last sixty seconds until the start of the examination. The others tensed up and turned towards the gate. 

“H-Hey, Rei, what makes you think I’m a good leader?” Hitomi whispered and leaned closer to her. 

“It’s because you have something everyone else is lacking”, Rei replied. “You really believe in teamwork. I noticed that last week already.” 

Uncomfortably Hitomi cast down her eyes. “You’re overestimating me”, she muttered. 

She looked somewhat sad, Rei noticed, and her gaze was distant. For a moment she wondered whether she had made the right decision, but she quickly cast that thought aside. She didn’t have time to doubt herself now. 

“Hey, Hitomi”, she began, but then something made her hesitate. “I… I’m not a team player. And I don’t want to become one either. But, I think I am the strongest duellist among us. So, please use me the way you need to.” 

Hitomi considered her for a few seconds, surprised. Then she nodded. 

_“Listen up, students”_ , Sora’s voice said over the loudspeakers. This time he didn’t sound as bored and annoyed as last time though. 

_“As you all know the exam’s starting when the countdown hits zero. The rules are the same as last time.”_

There was a brief pause and Rei had the feeling like Sora was taking a deep breath. 

_“I have another thing I want to tell you”_ , he said firmly. _“This time I’m not going to intervene. So please do what you consider best.”_

With a brief crackle the speakers went silent. 

Rei turned back to the countdown. Twenty-three… Twenty-two… She opened the case at her belt and took out her deck, glancing at the card at the bottom. 

Individual strength… That was the way of duelling the Professor had taught her. That was the path she had decided to follow. That was the resolve she had poured into this deck. 

_Reactor Dragon_ , she thought silently. _One more time, please be my strength._

She felt a faint response, like the quiet crunch of a gear, and a smile tugged at her mouth. Then she noticed something else. Something eerie and disturbing, and the image of something large and black flashed before her eyes. The dragon that man had used… Why did it feel so familiar? Why did he feel so familiar? 

She shook her head and drew in a deep breath, focusing back on the countdown. Now was not the time for that. 

Two… One… Zero. 

Just like last time the wall simply vanished in a shower of sparks and the noise of the jungle welcomed her again. She noticed her knees started to shake a little and quickly swallowed down the uncomfortable memories which welled up inside her. 

For a moment she thought she’d see a short figure, right beneath the beginning of the dense foliage, but at second glance it was gone already. 

Martin… 

This time it wouldn’t end like that. Not… Not this time. 


End file.
